Till Death Do Us Part
by EwanJamieMcLaughlin
Summary: So what if he's Jeff Tracy's son, and she's the Hood's daughter? How hard can one little wedding be?
1. Hopes And Dreams

Chapter One: Hopes and Dreams

Tessa Highlander stared lovingly into Virgil Tracy's eyes. Her hands clasped around his, she could not think of a single moment where she had felt happier than this. The voice speaking droned on, and Tess could scarcely pay attention. Finally there was a pause, which Virgil filled with her new favourite words. "I do."

They exchanged loving smiles, and Tessa could feel the happiness radiating from the audience behind them as the minister began asking her the same question. Her smile reached ear to ear, she could hardly contain her excitement. _In just a few minutes, we'll finally be married!_ she thought to herself.

" . . . till death do you part?" the minister finished.

"I do," she said breathlessly through her veil.

The minister smiled, as did the entire wedding party. "It is my honour to now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Virgil smiled, letting go of her hands and stepping forward. He raised his fingers to her veil and carefully pulled it over her head. They looked at each other for a brief second, letting their joy fill the air between them. He dropped his hands, slipping them around her waist, as she did the same. As Tess closed her eyes, she could feel her world finally becoming complete . . .

A shot rang out.

Her eyes opened, and she looked out in the crowd for Jeff, worried. She found him, shock across his face, but otherwise fine. It was then she felt it, her face draining of all colour, and her mind of all happiness, as her husband collapsed in her arms.

She screamed, but was unable to hold him, and they collapsed to the ground together. She quickly composed herself, and checked for a pulse. There was none. She looked at Virgil, and found he was bleeding through the chest; nothing could be done soon enough.

Her hands covered in blood, she held his face, turning it so he could see her. "I love you," she managed to say between shaky breaths. She kissed his forehead. She could never be certain, but she thought she'd heard him faintly whisper it back. Then he was gone, she could feel it.

She stood up, blood covering the front of her white dress, searching for the person who could have done this. Her eyes lit upon a figure hiding in the shadows of the corner, no doubt her father. No doubt he'd gotten his revenge . . .

–

Tessa Highlander awoke in a cold sweat, her breathing shaky. She sat up in bed almost immediately after her eyes opened. Her hands shook as she pulled the covers back. She got out of bed, reaching for her housecoat.

As she pulled it on, Tess looked over at the clock sitting on her table. _4:03, _she thought, reaching for the door, _more than two hours before anyone gets up._

She walked out, careful to remain quiet so as not to disturb anyone, into the hall. As she made her way down the hall she stopped at her fiancé's door.

It was foolish, she knew, as it was only a dream, but she still opened the door. Sure enough, Virgil lay on his bed, soundly asleep, a smile across his face.

She softly closed the door, and resumed making her way to the balcony. She passed through the living room, where the large family could often be found together. Finally she made it to the sliding door. She opened it carefully, but did not bother closing it as she stepped outside.

The cool breeze glided across Tess's skin in a welcome way. She loved the feeling, but did not smile. Instead, she drew the robe tighter still around her, and leaned against the railing. She stared out into the sky. It was still dark, but she could see the horizon beginning to lighten even then. She'd unknowingly witnessed this for the past week or so as well, never taking notice of it.

Her thoughts were indeed elsewhere again this morning. Why did she keep having this dream? The answer was so simple, she smiled to herself: she was afraid. More than afraid, terrified.

She let go of the housecoat and crossed her arms, allowing her mind to wander over the same things it had for the past few weeks. Her father . . . his betrayal - make that _betrayals_ . . . her future with Virgil. She was horrified that her father might take his anger out on Virgil. She loved him, and felt like her whole life had led up to marrying him. If her father took him away from her, she'd never be able to forgive him . . .

Not that she wanted to anyway. As far as she was concerned, the man who was her father was dead, along with any sympathy she had for him.

_But then again,_ she thought, putting herself in his shoes, _I probably would be upset too . . . I'd probably need all the support I could-_

Tess shook herself. Was she _actually_ sympathising with _The Hood!_ The fact of the matter was, he should not have put himself in this situation at all! This was his own fault, and Tess felt she'd be darned if she'd sympathise with him!

She was so caught up in her anger that she did not hear the footsteps behind her. She jumped as the strong hands slipped around her waist. She relaxed though, as she felt his head rest on her shoulder.

"Virgil . . ," she whispered, smiling. She held his hands on her waist. She swore the man had radar for when she was out of bed. "I'm sorry I woke you up."

He kissed her neck softly, the only place he could reach from behind. "I'm sorry I wasn't awake as soon as you were."

She continued to smile, but said nothing. Instead, she turned around in his arms and kissed him softly on the lips. He stared down at her after she broke away. "You had the dream again, didn't you?" he asked quietly, already knowing the answer.

She slipped her arms around him tight, letting her head rest against his chest. She nodded.

He rested his chin lightly on her head, and held her close. "It's alright. Look, I'm here now, okay? Nothing will happen. We _will_ be married, and we _will_ live past the ceremony."

She nodded again. Tess lifted her head and looked at him. "I love you, Virgil."

He respondedto this by kissing her. When he broke away, he looked at her for what seemed forever. "Come on, let's go inside. We need to sleep." He dropped his hands from her waist, and she let go of him as well, looking crestfallen. He held her right hand in his and began to gently pull her inside. She was reluctant to go, so he walked back in and lifted her with both arms. She wrapped her hands around his neck, but said nothing. He, also, did not close the glass door (not that thieves were a risk on a private, uncharted island).

Instead of carrying Tessa to her own room, though, Virgil carried her into his, kicking the door closed behind him. He laid her on his mussed bed, and then proceeded to rummage through his closet.

He produced a sleeping bag, which he laid on the floor next to the bed. Tess tossed him a pillow, as he began to crawl into it.

She pulled the blanket up around her, housecoat and all, rolling over on the bed so that she could see him below. "Wouldn't it be better for _me_ to sleep in the sleeping bag? I am a guest, after all, so _you_ deserve the bed."

He looked at her. "Oh, please, Tess. _Must_ we have this same argument everyday?"

She shrugged, her head now resting on her crossed arms. "I just think if you want to 'watch over me' you should literally watch over me."

He smiled. "Well, how would it look, a gentleman such as myself . . ," Tessa laughed jokingly, but he ignored it. ". . . forcing a poor girl such as yourself into a ruddy old sleeping bag, while I slept upon a comfortable bed?"

She just smiled and shook her head, rolling over onto her back. "I love you, you know that?"

He smiled, though she could no longer see it. "I had a hunch."

–

Virgil awoke the next morning late - well, late by Tracy standards, meaning seven o'clock. It took him a moment to recognize that he was on the floor, and to remember that Tess was laying on his bed. He wriggled out of the sleeping bag, and peered upon the bed, smiling. "Morning, sweet-"

But she was gone.

Momentary worry struck Virgil. Tess never got up before him! It was a crime against nature! She would sleep until noon if it weren't for her noisy brother-in-laws.

More worry still struck him when he noticed that the bed had been made. _Tess never makes her bed! _he recalled. _And neither do I!_

He looked all around his room, rushing about. The walk-in closet was empty, and she certainly wasn't hiding under the bed. Surely, she couldn't already be up?

He flung open the door of his room, still in only his boxers and t-shirt, and proceeded towards her room, which was just a couple doors down. He opened the door to find absolutely nothing. Her bed was made as well, scaring Virgil.

He closed the door, and made his way towards the living room. Perhaps he could peek in and see if she was there before he got dressed . . . ?

He rounded the corner and walked directly into the centre of the room. It was unusually dark and empty. He looked around, astonished.

Suddenly everyone popped out at once - from behind the couch, the desk, the piano, everywhere. "Surprise!" they all yelled at him (his eyes widened with shock).

Tess walked out from behind the piano and threw her arms around him. "Happy Birthday, Virgil," she whispered in his ear.

It took him a moment to register all this. He held her close, smiling. "Thank you, Tessa . . . I love you."

She kissed him on the cheek, still smiling. Then she placed her lips next to his ear. "I love you too . . . and I wouldn't have loved you any less with pants, either."

He laughed, but then abruptly stopped himself. He didn't have _what_!

He looked down and immediately turned bright red. Looking up, he dropped his arms from around Tess, and promptly disappeared back into his room.

–

The family all laughed as Virgil pulled out the gift his brother Scott and his new wife Lana had picked out for him, wrapped in Winnie the Pooh paper. He held up the digital camera, the size of a credit card, for all to see. A chorus of oohs and awes followed.

"So you don't miss priceless moments like your brother running out in his underwear," Lana explained. Virgil quickly elbowed her. Scott made sure to smack him across the back of the head in return. Nobody messed with Lana while Scott was around for fear of being killed.

Tess passed him a box. It was round, and tied loosely with a red ribbon. She smiled knowingly, but everyone else seemed to know as much about the present as Virgil. Tess smiled. "Just a little something I thought you might like." Virgil's eyes narrowed, and he smiled, but he had no idea what was sitting in his lap.

The gift in his lap was a rectangle. He pulled off the lid and found a slightly small box from a jeweller in London. Virgil opened it up. Inside was a gold pocket watch, attached to a chain.

"Open it," Tess persisted. He opened the locket, and saw it ticking away. He was about to ask her what he was looking for, when he noticed another crack along the edge of the clock. He opened it. Inside was a picture of himself and Tessa. Engraved on the other side was a message from Tessa:

_To Virgil, my love and my life. You are the song in my heart, and the air in my lungs. I am yours forever. Tess_

He didn't care how many people were around him at that moment. He wrapped his arms around Tessa and pulled her close, kissing her as much as he'd ever kissed her before. Catcalls and whistles surrounded him, but he ignored them all. He was hers forever too, and he wanted her to know that.

"Ahem!" Jeff called, instantly separating the pair. Virgil moved back into his seat, as did Tessa, both blushing profusely. Jeff smiled at them. "I think it's time for cake."

–

They all sat inside now, each nursing a cup of coffee. Jeff was in the kitchen helping Onaha put away the cake. The children all sat around in their pyjamas (the females at least - most of the Tracy boys wore merely boxers and a t-shirt to bed, so they were still fully dressed). It was now late into the evening, and they all sat there, gossiping.

Lana was halfway through the story of how Scott had proposed. Everyone had heard the tale a dozen times, but never tired of it. "So, he sat on my bed, and I was ready to tell him to take a hike. But seeing him there in person . . . everything was different. He hands me these flowers, and I melted. That is until I saw he was too cheap to have a full bouquet of _real_ roses."

Tessa and Tin-Tin laughed, and most of the boys chuckled slightly. John, however, was quiet and smiled ruefully - he was the only Tracy to not currently have a sweetheart. Even Gordon was "dating" someone he'd met in Vegas through the Internet.

Lana kept talking, " . . . and _finally _I noticed there was something funny about the tickets. I was expecting London, not Vegas. I remember my exact thoughts were, 'He _can't_ be proposing, can he?'. I was excited but scared when I found out. But I was in love with him, so I went through with it." She talked like it had been nothing, but the look in her eyes and the smile on her lips told everyone otherwise.

Scott beamed down at her, like she was the best thing that had ever happened to him (and in his opinion, she was). His arm slipped around her shoulder, and he moved closer to her on the sofa.

Tessa sat cuddled up next to Virgil on the couch across from them. "When do the pictures come?" she asked.

Scott turned towards Tessa. "I called the company and they said they should be here either tomorrow or the next day. I'm hoping tomorrow, though."

She nodded, taking a sip of her coffee.

John thought he'd had about enough of all this, so he looked at the clock and feigned shock. "Oh, look, is that the time?" he yawned for effect, standing up, "I'm rather tired. I think I shall retire early tonight." With that, he set off towards his room, knowing his family didn't believe him one bit, especially since it was only 9:30.

Tessa turned around. "Goodnight, John," she called after him.

He turned towards his best friend. "Good night, Tessa." He headed to his room, depression following him every step of the way.

–

John awoke the next morning early. It was around six a.m., and he could tell he was the first brother up. He climbed out of his bed, and made his way over to the closet.

Today was no special day, not for him at least. Perhaps for his brothers, it would be more significant. For Alan, it would be one day closer to coming home. For Gordon, it would be another day he could talk to his "friend" online. For Virgil and Tessa, it would be yet another day nearer to their wedding. And for Scott, it would be one extra day with Lana.

As John pulled on his old Rolling Stones t-shirt (he was one of the few Tracys who didn't wear a t-shirt while he slept), he pondered that last thought. Scott had changed since Lana had come. _Come to think of it, Scott hasn't been the same for a long time_.

It was true. John could scarcely remember when his brother was a fun-loving bachelor. Tessa had kept that about him, then when they split, Scott had turned cold and detached for a long time. When Lana came, he'd finally been himself again.

But now, as John pulled a pair of shorts on, he felt detached from his brother. Scott barely ever tore his gaze from Lana, and he spent every waking second with her. He talked, of course, about missions and Thunderbirds and things such as that . . . but John couldn't help but feel as though he missed his brother.

The door opened and closed behind him, almost as though he never touched it. As he walked down the hall, he could almost hear the rhythmic breathing of his brothers. He rounded the corner, and walked straight through the living room, into the kitchen.

He had planned on making coffee himself, as Onaha and Kyrano would not be up for awhile yet. So, as a result, he was surprised to find his father already in the kitchen, sitting at the counter on a stool. John walked over and poured himself a cup of coffee, sitting down on a stool next to his father. Jeff Tracy set down the newspaper he'd been reading, and turned towards the second son his wife had given him.

"John," he began, "what is it? We hardly talk anymore."

John took a sip of his coffee. "I realize that." He looked down into his cup, as though something might break through the surface of his coffee at any given moment.

Jeff sensed something deep was stirring inside his son. "Is there something you'd like to talk

about . . . ?" he pressed.

John bit his lip. He would have never dreamed of sharing this stuff with his father. But Lucy had long-since gone, and he wasn't getting any younger. "It's about a girl."

Jeff was startled. "You've _met_ someone?" He didn't mean for it to sound like he was surprised, but it did.

John thought for a moment. "_Okay_, let me rephrase that: it's about _lack_ of a girl."

His father seemed to get it now. "You shouldn't be worrying yourself about this, John. You're young, and there's plenty of time-"

"No there isn't!" John snapped all of the sudden. He stood up. "Dad, _look_ at me!" His voice was almost tearful. "I'm twenty-six. By the time my _younger_ brother gets married, I'll be twenty-seven. Three more years down the line, I'm thirty."

Jeff held up a hand. "Life doesn't end at thirty-"

"-I haven't made any effort!_ Look at me!_ I'm the only one of your sons who doesn't have someone, and what do I do with most of my time? I sit in space. _Alone_. Scott's a year older, and he's _married_. Virgil's a year younger, and he's _engaged_. And the other two? One may as well be engaged, and the other's making good progress."

"Stop it!" his father snapped back, standing up as well. He sighed, calming himself. "I know you're mad, John. It's not fair that you have to spend your time in space while the others stay down here. But someone has to do it. After the wedding, Tessa and Virgil have decided to spend their honeymoon on Thunderbird 5. You can spend that month in London, if you wish."

John could only blink for a moment. "Really?"

There were sounds of footsteps in the hall and livingroom behind them. "Of course. Now, let's get out of here, I think your brothers are up."

There was a large whooping noise.

"And judging by that, I'd say they discovered the mail came early."

–

"They're here! They're here! They're here! They're here! They're here!" Lana called, bouncing in the entrance to the living room, a large manilla envelope in her hands.

"Calm down, Lana," Scott said, laughing. He tried to hold her still, but there was no containing her excitement.

The rest of the family quickly emerged. First came Jeff and John from the kitchen . . . next Gordon . . . then Tin-Tin . . . and finally Virgil and Tess.

Lana turned to them all, unable to keep her excitement inside. "They're here! The wedding pictures finally came!"

Virgil blinked, still not fully awake. "Did it come with some coffee?" he asked hopefully.

"I'll go get us some," Tess responded, kissing him on the cheek. She was far more awake than Virgil as she walked towards the kitchen.

They all sat down on the furniture almost immediately. They'd been as anxious to see these pictures as Lana and Scott themselves.

Lana tore open the package, Scott sitting on the arm of her chair, looking over her shoulder. She pulled out a large stack of glossy pictures. "Oooh, Scott, you look so cute!" she laughed.

She passed around the pictures one-by-one. There were about three out when Tessa got back. She handed Virgil the coffee, and placed her own cup on the table, taking the picture of Scott. He looked very handsome in his suit, his hair just as spiked as ever.

She passed the picture on to Virgil, and took the next. "That's me coming down the aisle," Lana explained.

Tessa had never seen Lana in a dress before, and, frankly, it scared her a little. But, to be perfectly honest, Tessa hoped she'd look as beautiful on her own wedding day. Lana's hair was pulled back, and the strapless dress clung to her slender figure in all the right places. She stared at the picture a little longer before passing it on.

The next picture came to her then. It was of Lana and Scott saying their vows. Hand-in-hand, they were smiling at each other as Scott slipped the ring on her finger.

" . . . and this one is the kiss." Lana took another off the stack and passed it around.

When it got to Tessa, she looked at it for all of three seconds before giving it to Virgil, who did the same. Tessa was a relatively shy girl, and would rather not look at Scott kissing Lana.

"This was taken after the ceremony. This is Gordon and his 'friend' that he met. We would have rather had someone we knew, but we needed two witnesses, and were one short, so . . ." Scott took the photo, and passed it on to John.

As it made its way around the circle, Tessa waited. She smiled at Virgil, who seemed to share the same thought. _I hope our wedding is just as beautiful_.

Finally, Gordon passed the photo to her, looking bashful. Tessa took the picture, a grin on her face.

Gordon was adorable, with his lopsided grin and suit. And of course, the happy couple were beautiful. But Tessa's smile faded significantly when she saw the dark-haired girl standing beside Lana.

She dropped the picture as suddenly as if she'd been burned. Tess's heart raced. Her blood ran cold, and her breathing went shallow. Her hands began to shake as she raised them to her mouth, and she wanted to scream.

Virgil's eyes widened. "Tess? Tessa, are you okay!" he asked urgently.

The laughter stopped. All eyes were on Tess.

Her lip quivering, she pointed to the girl in the picture. "V-Virgil . . . Virgil, that girl is Mimosa Granger!"


	2. The Hood's Secret

Chapter Two: The Hood's Secret

Tessa began hyperventilating. Virgil turned to her, grasping her shoulders. "Calm down, Tessa!" He was trying to be calm himself, but he was close to hyperventilating himself. "Darling, there's no _way_ that could be Mimosa Granger. The world would have to be so small . . ."

Tess looked insulted. "Virgil! I would know this woman even if I was blind! Can't you trust my judgement!" she yelled, on the brink of tears.

Virgil dropped his hands from her shoulders and buried his face in them. "I don't believe this . . ."

Tessa stood up and stared at him in disbelief. "Well you better start believing it! We're sitting ducks, and frankly, I'm not one who wants to sit around through this kind of thing." She was in full panic mode now as Virgil looked up at her.

"What _for_! We're screwed now, aren't we!" he roared, standing up to face her.

"Will someone _please_ tell me what the _heck_ is going on!" Jeff yelled, standing up. The entire shell-shocked family seemed to be agreeing with him.

Tess crossed her arms in front of herself, tears now pouring down her face. Virgil took a step towards her, taking her in his arms, ignoring his father completely. He placed his lips next to her ear. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it . . . I didn't mean to yell, Tessa," he whispered.

"Ahem!" Jeff yelled, now clearly more than mad.

Virgil broke away, no longer ignoring the rest of the family. Instead of turning towards his father though, he looked at Gordon. "Is it true!" he snapped. "Is _Mimosa Granger_ the mysterious woman you refuse to tell us anything about!"

Gordon swallowed. He nodded slowly, scared of his brother at this second.

Tessa bit her lip. Virgil turned around, unable to stand the sight of his brother. His hands were on top of his head, crushing the spike he'd created with so much hair gell that morning. Tessa looked confused and worried, not to mention scared beyond consolation.

Jeff seemed more than a _tiny_ bit annoyed. "I repeat: would someone _please_ tell me, _what_ is _going on here!_"

Virgil looked over at Tessa. "Would you care to tell them how our lives could possibly be ruined, or shall I?" he asked sarcastically.

Tess's voice was small. "I will." She looked at Jeff. "Sit down. You'll want to be when I tell you this."

Jeff obeyed. All eyes were on Tessa as she took her seat as well, and as Virgil sat next to her.

She looked down for a moment, her eyes searching for where to begin. No one said anything.

Tessa took a deep breath. She looked up, her ice blue eyes flicking between all of them. "I want to set the record straight first: I had no idea of any of this up until a few weeks ago. I didn't tell you for many reasons . . . this is something hard for me to accept, you have to understand that, and it's even harder to share. But you need to know this now more than ever.

"A few weeks ago, when I went to visit my father, he'd told me there was something I needed to know. And everything we had between us changed . . ."

-

_A few weeks earlier . . . _

Tessa Highlander walked through the doors into the Maximum Security Ward at the London prison where her father was residing. She stepped up to the desk, the regular African-American guard on duty. "Hi, I'm here to see my father." Tessa smiled at the woman.

The woman seemed startled. She smiled then, recognizing Tessa. "He's in the questioning room at the moment. You can go right in."

Tess thanked the woman and turned, walking into a room down the left hall. She stopped and knocked on the door. Another guard opened it, and escorted her in. "Dad!" She ran to her father, who embraced her.

But when Tessa pulled away, there was an emotion on her father's face she'd never seen before. "Dad? What is it?"

"Sit down, Tessa," he commanded, in a gentle but firm voice. She obeyed.

He sat down across from her, lacing his fingers together tightly. He looked up at the guard abruptly, pleading with his eyes. "Could we - could we be alone for a bit?"

Tessa was surprised that her father had even asked such a thing. So it came as a complete shock when the guard nodded and stepped just outside, closing the door behind him.

"Darling," he began, "I want you to know I loved your mother dearly. No matter what other impression I've given you, she was the only woman I ever really loved."

Tess nodded, scared.

He paused for a moment. "Shortly after you were born, your mother and I . . . we . . . well, we had a bit of a falling out. We argued about everything and anything. It started out as silly things. Like, whether you should wear your green dress or your pink one, or if we should move to a bigger house . . . that sort of thing." He couldn't look at her. "But soon they got worse. It got so that I could barely stand to be in her presence, and when I was . . . I believe you already know that part. So, after work and for hours at a time, I went to a small bar near where we lived for comfort."

Tess tried to take a guess at what was coming next. "Are you telling me you're an alcoholic?"

His eyebrows raised slightly and he looked directly at her. "That would be a lot easier to talk about, but no. At first it was the alcohol I went for, but that changed. I met someone there . . . her name was Iris."

Silence fell over Tessa. Every piece of emotion had been swept from her face. "Oh. I see."

The Hood looked down, clearly ashamed. "I stayed out later and later. Your mother became suspicious, but after awhile, gave up confronting me. I would come home drunk and angry . . . she would hide with you until I'd fallen asleep almost every night."

Tessa suddenly broke the silence, bursting with bitterness. "So . . . what happened? Did you fall _back_ in love with my mother? Did you murder Iris like you murdered my sister! _What happened?_"

The Hood tried to ignore her bitterness, though it was hard. "Your mother came to me one night and told me she was sorry. She had nothing to apologize for, but I forgave her. I realized what I'd been doing to my family, and quickly broke it off with Iris. She understood, and we never spoke again."

He looked up then, straight at Tessa, who had her arms crossed. There was nothing but silence between them for a long time. She broke it. "Why are you telling me this? Did your guilt catch up with you?" She laughed slightly. "Are you actually _trying_ to make me hate you?"

He shook his head. "Tessa, last week . . . a girl came to visit me-"

Tessa knit her eyebrows and laughed. "No one can visit you unless they're a blood relative!"

He closed his mouth and stared at her, waiting for it to sink in.

Realization hit her like a slap to the face. "Oh. I see . . . how _stupid_ of me." She stood up.

He stood as well. "Tessa, please! I didn't know she was pregnant when I left her, and I'm sure she didn't know either."

Tessa stared at him. "And what would you have done if you'd known? Would you have left us to join her in yet another _happy_ marriage? Or would you have stayed with us and lived a lie?"

He softened. "Please . . ."

"Please what? What do you want me to do, forgive you?" she asked.

"I know you can't do that." He looked directly at her then. "I want you to meet her."

Tess stood there for a moment, thinking. "Okay . . . okay, I'll meet her."

The Hood smiled. He walked to the door, and opened it. "Could you please bring her in?"

He walked back inside, and was soon joined by a tall woman, with wavy brunette hair almost reaching her waist. Tessa stood up politely. "Tessa, this is Mimosa Granger. Mimosa, this is Tessa Highlander," The Hood said.

They stared into each other's eyes - the same, ice blue eyes their grandmother had when she was alive. Tessa looked her up and down, getting a good look. They smiled, though Tess's was sarcastic. Mimosa held out her hand. "Nice to meet you."

Tessa shook it, a half-smile across her face. "Thank you. Nice to meet you too." She was still smiling as she dropped the hand and turned back to her father.

Her father smiled back at her, clearly pleased at the turn this meeting had taken. He put his hand on Tess's shoulder. "After I get out of here, Mimosa and I are going to move away. She has a small place back home in the States. It would be ever greater if you joined us there, Tessa."

Tess stared at him, the grin leaving slowly. "I can't do that, Dad. I'm getting married . . . I'll be on my own with my husband."

"Bring him along," he suggested.

"I can't do that! You of all people should know that."

"Then leave him." He said it as seriously as ever.

She stared at him, no trace of happiness on her face. She picked his hand off her shoulder like it was rotting and threw it down. "Don't touch me again. _Ever._" She turned to Mimosa. "It really was nice meeting the woman who just destroyed the last remainder of my past."

With that, Tessa opened the door, and marched down the hall, emotion gripping her. "Tessa!" her father yelled from the door. "Get back here! _I'm your father!"_

She turned around, angrier than she'd ever been at him. "_Jeff Tracy_ is the only father I've ever had!" she thundered back.

Her father was even angrier. "He's not your father and you know it!"

Her voice was bitter. "Then I guess I have no one except Virgil." She turned on her heel and ran out of the building, crying all the way.

-

When Tessa had finished her story, she looked up. She could already feel her eyes going red with tears. She realized that her hand was now encased in Virgil's, the only person who knew about this ahead of time, but she didn't remove it.

No one said anything for a long moment. Jeff turned towards Gordon. "How much does she know?" he asked calmly.

Gordon's head had been in his hands for awhile. He surfaced, though, looking directly at Jeff. "Well . . . that's hard to say."

Scott turned to his brother. "Well, say it anyway." His tone was that of someone who didn't want to take any crap.

Gordon sighed. "Let's put it this way: it's easier to list the things she doesn't know than what she does."

Everyone looked away except Jeff. "What doesn't she know?"

Gordon thought for a moment. "I never told her the location. She doesn't know that we're IR . . . she thinks we live in London, and I work for the military in rescue missions . . ."

"Does she know your name? _Our_ names?" John asked.

"She knows that we're _close_. I just didn't tell her how literally. Yes, she knows my name. Yes, she knows Scott and Lana's, obviously, and she knows that another brother is getting married."

Virgil looked up for a moment. "Then there's a chance she won't suspect anything." Tess looked at him.

"How's that?" she asked.

"Well," he explained, "she had to have been in London for awhile. She was probably eager to get home, and likely was mad things with her long-lost sister didn't go so well. The Hood doesn't know our names - well, apart from mine and Dad's. And there are more Tracys in the world. The fact that you, Gordon, told her we live in London helps too. She probably split after her father told her what he could, so she didn't really have much of a chance to explore."

"Right!" Gordon replied, brightening. "She told me after the wedding she'd been in town for a few days now . . . she'd have to have left early. And she's never acted weird or anything when we've talked."

Jeff let out a deep breath. "Still. It would be best if you broke off contact with her immediate-"

"No!" Tessa cried, letting go of Virgil's hand. "If Gordon breaks it off straight and out, she'll get suspicious," she turned towards Gordon as she spoke, "Slowly distance yourself from her. When you talk, give as little information as possible. After awhile, break up with her. And _don't_ tell her the name of your brother's fiancée. Or your brother, for that matter."

Jeff nodded. "Tessa's right. Like the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

-

Tessa awoke with less of a start the next morning than she regularly did. It was 3:30 almost exactly. She did as she usually did; she pulled herself out of bed not bothering to make it. As she walked down the hall, she didn't stop in to watch Virgil.

She rounded the corner and walked through the living room towards the balcony. The glass door felt cold to her fingertips as she opened it. She stepped outside, the breeze hitting her more than usual without her housecoat as she closed the door behind her. Tonight, she wanted to be alone.

Tess rested her elbows against the ledge as she brushed a piece of her red hair from her eyes. Her thoughts were focussed tonight on Mimosa alone. _How could Gordon do this to us? Was he not thinking?_

She knew that it was pointless. There was no way Gordon could have possibly known she was Tess's half-sister. Why did her father have to have an affair! As if her life wasn't messed up enough thanks to him.

And then there was Virgil.

Tessa exhaled hard. He had really hurt her with all his yelling. She knew he didn't mean it, but he'd never gotten along with her family (except for Tin-tin and Kyrano, of course), and he rarely tried.

The sound of the glass door sliding behind her startled her, but the sight of Virgil didn't. He slid it closed behind them, but when he turned around, he just stood there, staring at her. She returned his gaze. He looked her up and down, frowning at her shorts and tank top. "You must be cold," he stated plainly.

She nodded, aware of the breeze circling her neck. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. He looked down into her eyes as her fingers made their way up his back and onto his neck. Their eyes closed and soon their lips met. He embraced her tightly and she returned it. When he broke away, he whispered softly, "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I never meant to hurt you . . . it's your father, not you, Tessa. Sometimes he does the _stupidest_ things . . ."

She held him, resting her head on his chest. "I know."

He pulled back, and took her hand, pulling her towards the door. She let go of his hand and stood firmly. "I don't want to go."

He blinked. "What?"

"I don't want to sleep in your bed. Virgil, if your dad caught us-"

"-he'd see me on the floor and you asleep," Virgil finished. His grin was mischievous as he continued. "Admit it Tessa - you _want_ to sleep in my bed. You _crave _the danger."

She returned the grin as he placed his hand out for her. "And what if you're wrong? What if I only sleep in your bed to mess it up and annoy you?"

He laughed. "Tessa, you can't possibly mess it up anymore than I do. Now, c'mon." He slid the door open without taking his eyes off of her. She placed her hand in his.

Instead of pulling her inside though, he pulled her into his arms. They laughed, arms wrapped around each other as they made their way inside.

"Just _what_ are you two _doing_?"

Virgil and Tessa stopped in mid-kiss to see Scott standing there. Virgil turned towards his eldest brother, still holding Tess. "_Playing checkers_. Why?"

Scott shook his head. "You have a very _interesting_ way of going about it."

Virgil shrugged. "I'm working on it."

"Well you're not doing a very good job," Scott commented.

Vigil's eyebrows rose. "_Please_. I'm a far-better checker player than you've _ever_ been."

"Yeah, _right_. I'm the master checker player here. You're in denial."

Virgil broke away from Tessa and turned to face his brother fully. "What is it you want, Scott?"

Scott held up his mug, which Virgil and Tessa had both failed to notice before. "Couldn't sleep - thought I'd get a cup of joe. And, you know - while I was up - I thought I'd let you know, Virgil: Dad thinks what you're doing with Tessa, letting her sleep in your room and all, is sweet but if you keep it up - he's going to have to kill you."

Tess was confused, but that was not unusual. "He knows about that?"

Scott blinked. "Tessa, are you aware that what you're having aren't just regular nightmares?"

Tess was taken aback. "Excuse me?"

Scott looked towards Virgil. "You didn't _tell_ her?"

"You've been having night terrors," Virgil explained, turning to her. "You don't just dream horribly, Tessa; you sleep terribly. You thrash, and kick, and have even been known to let out the occasional scream. It started about the same time you started having that dream. When you sleep in my room, though, it stops."

Tess bit her lip, not saying anything for a long time. "So everyone knows? Great. Just what I need - everyone to know about my dreams _and_ my personal life." With that, she stormed off towards her room, without a backwards glance at Virgil or Scott.


	3. The Notebook

**Author's Note:**

I am _so_ sorry about the lateness of ths chapter. And, just in advance, sorry if the next chapter is late too. I have school, so that (unfortunately) has to come first. Anyway, enjoy. If you want something really special, when you see the line _"he abruptly turned his head back then_..."if you have Enrique Iglesias's "Hero" on hand, play it. I was listening to it when I wrote that scene and it fits so well. -EJM

**Chapter Three:** The Notebook

Tessa had been in her room for hours - or at least, it felt like it - having fallen back asleep right after the fight. But it was now six, and Virgil finally had an excuse to get her up - even if it was just that she needed to eat breakfast.

He walked down the hall, reflecting on his decision not to tell her that she'd been having night terrors. He supposed he'd been wrong to hold it in, but at the time he didn't want her to be anymore worrisome than she already was. He knocked softly on her door. "Tess?" he whispered. He heard her stir, and knocked again. "Tessa," he called a little louder, "it's six. You might want to get up before John eats all the pancakes."

There was a noise, suggesting she'd hurriedly gotten out of bed. He smiled to himself, knowing that she couldn't resist pancakes - the very reason he'd asked Kyrano to cook them. The door opened to reveal her in a housecoat (she hated to be seen in only her pyjamas, even if it was only Virgil), as she pulled her hair into a high ponytail. He grinned at her and said good morning, to which she responded with: "Don't think this means I've forgiven you."

He sighed inwardly. "I can still try, right?"

She shrugged. "Whatever makes you happy."

Virgil allowed her to walk right past him. He kept a metre or so away from her as they walked down the hall. The living room was deserted, but he could hear a few voices in the kitchen. He recognized Onaha and Kyrano, as well as his two other brothers. And where Scott went, Lana was sure to follow, so it came as no shock to him to find his sister-in-law sipping coffee in the corner.

He pulled out a chair for his fiancée, so she sat in the chair next to it, giving him a cold look in doing so. He watched as she silently took a plate and placed some pancakes on it. Virgil turned around as Onaha handed him two cups of coffee. He placed one in front of his seat, and the other next to Tessa's plate. She thanked him in a flat, uncaring tone.

John laughed, "Geez, Virg, what'd _you_ do?"

Virgil shot an annoyed look at Scott. "_Somebody_ let the night terrors thing slip before I got the chance, and now my fiancée will barely speak to me."

Scott shrugged. "Hey, if _you_ couldn't find a decent time over the course of two _weeks_ to tell her, then that's your problem."

Tessa looked up at John. "I suppose you know all about my horrible nightmares too, then?" she asked.

John smiled. "Actually, all I know is that you scream without reason in the middle of the night. Is there anything more to it?"

Tessa turned to look at Virgil, who had a vacant expression on his face as he cut up his pancakes. "At least you had the decency to keep your mouth shut about that." Before he could respond, though, she'd turned back to her breakfast.

-

Ten o'clock struck on the wooden grandfather clock by the front entrance. John had not seen Tessa for hours, but presumed that she was hiding in her bedroom. He made his way from the living room to hers. The sound of country music lightly danced in the air behind the door as he knocked.

"Who is it?" she asked, as though he'd disturbed her. The music abruptly stopped.

"The 'other'," he laughed.

"Oh. Come in, then." He opened the door to find her closing a notebook, and setting it aside. She motioned for him to sit on the bed next to her. "What's up?"

He shrugged. "I'm just worried about you."

Tess raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

He shrugged, allowing his eyes to wander around the room. "Well, considering you're not speaking to your fiancé, and you will be leaving with _me_ and Tin-tin in two days . . ."

Her head shot up in the direction of the calendar hanging on her wall. Her eyes widened. "Crap! That's not _this_ week, is it!"

He nodded, looking at her again. "Afraid so. And it's not like you can put someone like the seamstress off again."

She stood abruptly, knocking the notebook, that had been perched precariously on the edge of her bed, tumbling to the floor. "I know, I know . . . but this is just great!" She turned, looking directly at him as he stood up, "I don't want to be in a fight with Virgil when I leave! I need to be in a _good_ mood for a three-day-shopping-spree!"

He smiled. "So go forgive him."

She pursed her lips and placed her hands on her hips. "Fine for you, Mr. Know-It-All."

He smiled again, but his eyes fell on the notebook lying on the floor, now ungraciously opened to display its contents. _That's not a notebook . . ._ John's forehead creased as he knelt down to pick it up.

Tess swung herself around to look and her eyes widened in horror. She fell to her knees and grabbed the sketch book before John could get a better look. She stood up, closing it. He stood up as well, looking at her oddly. "What is that?"

She shook her head, her expression that of someone who had no clue what was going on. "It's nothing."

John was sceptical. "Tess. What's in the book?"

Tess straightened up. "That is no concern of yours."

In one swift motion, John plucked the book from her hand, turning around and hugging it to his chest childishly. Tess jumped behind him, grabbing at random moments yelling childishly, "John! Give it back! _John!_"

John shrugged away her hands and opened the book. Tessa gave him a dirty look.

Inside were sketches of people. There were no backgrounds, and the faces held little character. In fact, they were mostly the same, expressionless woman over and over again with the occasional hair colour change. Occasionally, he would come across a male, usually in a tuxedo. These drawings perplexed him: _why draw mere figures?_ It was obvious by the style that more detail _could_ be drawn, it just hadn't. So why bother? Then he noticed the only difference between one figure and another - the fashions.

The woman on the first page had a high bun coloured blonde. She wore a sophisticated pants-suite that seemed a touch fancy. The next page held the same woman with dark hair and tanned skin, a rose in her hair, which hung loosely around her shoulders. Her outfit was completely different. She wore a spaghetti-strap dress, form-fitting, that showed off her legs and spike-heels.

Ignoring Tessa's impatient glances, John flipped the page, and the blonde was back. This time she was in a variation of the dress. It still was the same pink colour - a soft pink, not pale exactly, but not bright - but it had only one strap, and this time a see-through shawl in a paler hue hung around her shoulders. The hair was pulled up in the bun again, but the flower was in her hair. It seemed the artist had taken more time with this particular drawing, and it almost appeared as though this one had a glow to it. There were even little rose petals drawn around the figure's feet.

The next model was a male, with blonde hair. The tuxedo was cut well, obviously tailored to his broad-shouldered figure. It was black, and _very_ formal. The strange thing was, though, the tie was the same colour as the dress the two previous women had been wearing. His hair was gelled back smoothly. Next to this model, another man had been drawn. His tuxedo was very similar, again, obviously tailored. But the cut seemed even more formal, and instead of a tie, he had a bow-tie. The hair was completely different too - brown in colour with faint blonde streaks through it. The hair had been gathered in random spikes. The man seemed drawn with care, adding eye colour, something none of the other people had.

Tessa sighed, and he flipped the page again, and it all made sense. Before him was a red-headed lady. She seemed to have been drawn beautiful, but not on purpose - almost accidental, in fact. The hair was up like the two women's only two wavy strands hung loosely framing her face, and in the back, instead of being a neat bun, hair came out in wavy clumps, in a way that looked beautiful. It was the dress that gave it away, though. It had thin straps, with a clinging top and a bottom hanging loosely - a beautiful white wedding dress. The top part was, indeed, a tight fit, but in no way uncomfortable, and at her waist, Tessa had drawn a small rose, identical to those in Penny and Tin-Tin's hair. The skirt part hang in an almost Victorian way - very big, but without the hoop skirt. The fabric pulled up in various parts, in a beautiful way. There was no train, and her shoes could not be seen, but to him, Tessa had never looked more beautiful.

He looked up at her. "You drew these?"

She nodded, "And designed them." There was a pause before she added nervously, "Well . . . what do you think?"

"They seem . . . perfect." His tone was astonishment.

"Really?" she asked hopefully.

"Well . . ," he began, frowning at something. She sighed, exasperated. He looked up at her. "No, no, it's nothing _bad_. Just, the dress," he explained, showing her the white gown, "The straps on it are a little plain. I think it would look better as an off-the-shoulder, and you could wear a collar."

A thoughtful look crossed her face, and she grabbed the pencil she'd been using earlier. Carefully taking the book from his hands, she erased the straps and drew in his suggestion, even adding the collar. When she'd finished, they both stopped to admire it.

"Perfect," they said in unison. At the same time, they turned and smiled at each other.

John teasingly flipped the pages back. "Now, about this pink tie . . ."

-

While John was admiring Tessa for designing her own wedding, Gordon sat at his father's computer, thinking he'd never get his own.

**HoboJoe214:** Hey babes.

**MuffinTree37:** Heya, sup Gordo?

Gordon racked his brain for something to say. _I'm sorry - your dad is a homicidal maniac, and it's all good for my brother to get involved with your older sister, but you? His illegitimate child who he's only known about for a couple weeks? Sorry, no luck._

Gordon shook his head. No, that wouldn't work. _Look, Mimosa, you're a wonderful girl - smart, sassy, beautiful . . . _Again, no luck.

**MuffinTree37:** Babe? You there?

He typed furiously.

**HoboJoe214:** Oh, sorry. Distracted today. How are you?

**MuffinTree37:** Guess I'm alright. Dad called today. Long story short, I'm gonna visit him in London.

Gordon gulped. _Dad_. The Hood.

**MuffinTree37:** And I was kinda hoping I could meet you there too.

_Oh, crap._ _How am I gonna get out of this one?_ he thought.

**HoboJoe214:** Oh...well, um...

**MuffinTree37:** Look, is there someone else over there? Am I, like, 'the other woman'?

**HoboJoe214:** Gosh no! Where would you get that idea?

**MuffinTree37: **Well, you never want to meet, every time the subject comes up. And you've started acting, I dunno, weird all of the sudden.

Gordon sighed. Never before had a muffin tree given him such trouble.

**HoboJoe214:** No, trust me, it's nothing like that. There's only you. It's just ... _difficult_ to date someone online like this.

**MuffinTree37: **Okay, so meet me in London. Dude, you do live there, _remember?_

Crap. How was he gonna get out of this one? She was an intelligent girl - despite only being a cartoonist - and he knew she'd figure something was up.

**HoboJoe214:** I'm just _really_ busy right now. I don't want to let you down, but the queen needs her private jet worked on, and one of our major planes is knocked out . . .

**MuffinTree37:** lol Yeah...riiiiiiight. You can't fool me, Mr. Tracy. I've known who you _really_ are from day one.

(More gulping on Gordon's part)

**HoboJoe214:** raises eyebrow Okay, I'll bite - who am I _really_?

**MuffinTree37: **Now if I told you that, it would spoil the fun.

**HoboJoe214: **So spoil.

**MuffinTree37: **Nope. You'll just have to guess. :p

**HoboJoe214: **smilingOkay...fireman? Police officer? Professional cow tipper, maybe?

**MuffinTree37: **Nope. You give up? ;)

**HoboJoe214:** Yes. Now, who am I?

There was a sharp intake of breathe from Gordon. It was slowly released when an instant notification popped up.

**MuffinTree37 HAS LOGGED OFF**

He waited for 5 minutes. Nothing. Another five went by, and he surfed the net. Ten more minutes went by, and he saw a name pop online then quickly offline again (presumably because she had seen Gordon was online), but she didn't come back. He clicked the 'log off' button and got up. Mimosa was a mysterious creature . . . and he was making excellent progress on getting rid of her.

-

Tess stepped outside, the beam from the setting sun making her skin glow. It seemed that her hair was not in fact hair but a halo. She looked to her left to find Virgil laying in the hammock smiling at her. She'd never know it, but he was questioning how he'd ever gotten lucky enough to have her as a fiancée.

She walked over to where the hammock was, and stared down at him. She crossed her arms, and flicked her head, sending a curtain of red hair over her shoulder. A smirk crossed her lips. "I'm ready to forgive you now."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" he asked, and attempted to prop himself on his elbow, forgetting he was in a hammock. The result was the hammock swung violently to his right, causing him to land hard on the ground at Tess's feet. He let out a small groan.

Tessa held back laughter as she quipped, "Consider yourself forgiven."

He looked up at her as if she'd just told a bad joke before pushing himself back up and sitting gingerly in the middle of the hammock, holding onto the edge of the fabric. "Well, good. Frankly, I was getting worried. It's very bad if two people, who are getting _married_, don't talk to each other."

She sighed. "Yeah . . . especially since I have to go to a meeting with the seamstresses in two days . . ."

"What!" Virgil was shocked. He lost his balance again at this, but because he was holding the fabric, he fell backwards onto the grass.

Tessa expertly stepped over the hammock, and offered him her hand. "Yes," she responded, as he grabbed her hand, "I have to meet with the seamstresses so they can begin on the dresses and your brother's tuxedo. We have to get measurements and everything done. We are, after all, pushing for October, and it's already August."

He stood up, dusting himself off. When he'd finished, he looked directly at her, taking her hand. "If you have to go, I suppose I can let you . . . for a few days." She beamed at him, and he returned the grin. He abruptly turned his head back then, looking around for any unwanted family members. He smiled at her, and pulled her back towards the hammock.

She grinned sheepishly at him as he lay down and pulled her onto the hammock with him. She lay down next to him, and let him put his arm around her. They were silent together for a long moment, and a breeze rocked them softly. "Tess . . ," he whispered, pointing to a small stretch of beach on the island, "do you see the shore, right there? By the rocks?"

"Yes," she whispered, in a ghostly voice. "I see it."

He smiled, memories floating back as gently as the breeze. "Little more than a year ago, I thought I heard a noise," she blushed as he spoke, "and decided to walk down there. And you know what I found?"

She laughed. "Enlighten me," she whispered.

Virgil smiled, and kissed the top of her head. "My soul mate."

She turned her head, and let him kiss her softly. When she opened her eyes, he was looking at her happily. "Let's get married there."

Her only response was to kiss him again. Just as she was hoping to stay where she was forever, she heard the distant sounds of the alarm from Alan going off. As usual, the call of duty thwarted romance.


	4. Doubt

**Chapter Four: Doubt**

Mimosa walked at the heels of the bellboy in front of her as he escorted her to the room she was staying in. "Here we are, Miss. Granger," the man proclaimed as he opened a door. She smiled and thanked him as she entered, slipping a couple of dollars into his hand. He nodded politely, and closed the door.

She looked around. It was a fairly nice suite, nothing too fancy. There was a small kitchen, and one king-sized bed. Mimosa made her way to the closet with her one shoulder-bag. She unzipped it, and began to hang up her clothes absentmindedly. _Why didn't Gordon want to meet me?_ she thought as she folded a pair of jeans over a coat hanger. _He's been acting so bizarre lately . . ._

Her thoughts floated to her father as she finished with the clothing. Mimosa sighed inwardly and briefly looked out the window. She'd always known she was illegitimate. Well, maybe not in so many words, but one notices that the other children have Daddies. She'd asked her mom about him, and she'd always been vague. She knew her mother through and through - her mother had felt used by Mimosa's father. Sometimes she had gotten angry about it, other times she had still felt in love with him . . .

_I wish she were still her_e, Mimosa thought with a shudder. Her mother and her had shared a bond no one else had, and it had been incredibly hard to lose. Evidently, her father had preferred to be around his "own kind" - Mimosa's mother had been empathic, and she'd passed that on to her daughter. Now Mimosa was not only burdened by her own emotions, but those of the people around her as well.

Mimosa picked up the books she'd brought with her and sat them on the table. She'd never really wanted to find her father until after her mother died. Now she really wanted to know the man who'd given her telekinesis. Was he ever surprised to hear his daughter had come to visit, only to find a complete stranger sitting at the table. But now she felt that they were close . . . sort of. She understood he was terribly angry at Tessa, even though he rarely expressed it in front of her. _Oh, well . . . not my problem_. As far as Mimosa was concerned, the whole Tracy family could take a flying leap.

-

When Tessa finally got to look at herself in the mirror, six and a half hours after receiving the signal, she had to suppress a scream. Her hair was everywhere, her nails were broken, and her lip gloss was a smear across her face. She frantically grabbed a Kleenex to wipe it off.

That had been one nasty fire. Half of the street had been destroyed though, thankfully, only a few people sustained injury. It had taken 3 hours to get the fire under control, and about another one to put it out completely. That wasn't including the several breaks they had to take for her fiancé and several others to make heroic efforts to get people out.

She sighed, tossing the tissue into the wastebasket, and picking up her brush. Virgil was so sweet . . . he'd even thought to kiss her before he went in, in case . . .

She dropped the brush. No, she wouldn't think about that. He was brave, he was a hero, he was alive. She needed to focus on what had really happened, not what might have. _Still,_ she thought, picking up the brush again, _how hard will it be for me to let him do that once-_

She stopped herself momentarily. She'd never thought about that before. Would Virgil want children? Did _she_ want children? She picked up the brush again, deep in thought. She'd never pictured herself as a mother before - certainly not this early in her twenties.

She looked out her window, lost in thought, and noticed the darkness outside. She spun around to look at the digital clock. _No way! It can't be _that_ late!_

She'd just have to pick this up in the morning. Right now, she had to sleep.

-

"OUCH! I don't see the need for a pin _there!_"

Tess looked towards the curtains where the "fitting room" was set up. She shuttered at the thought of where the pin was poking John. She turned back to the head seamstress who was overlooking the designs she'd modified. John had "volunteered" to go first, since his would be, essentially, a basic tuxedo.

Tess pointed to an erased line. "Originally I'd thought that straps would be nice . . . I think that an off-the-shoulder would be better though."

The seamstress nodded, sending her short, highlighted brown hair bobbing. "I agree," her face seemed to light up. She turned towards the side and picked up a pencil. "However, I think if you want to go for that, instead of a straight-line, you should go for more of a slight V-neck." She traced a more fitting line for the top of the dress. "Nothing revealing, just a small dip. There - see how that makes it seem more balanced?" She turned to gage Tessa's reaction.

She smiled. "I like that. It looks much better-"

"OH MY GOSH! WHAT ON _EARTH_ ARE YOU DOING TO ME!" came Penny's voice from another corner. Tessa was _not_ looking forward to getting the same treatments.

Tessa had been here with the girls (and John, of course) for hours now. It was actually taking shorter than it would have if she hadn't have emailed Samantha (the head seamstress) the designs ahead of time. They'd also been there once before, so fabric and measurements were ready. Right now the bridal party were all getting the pin treatment.

Tin-Tin yelled something in a foreign language. Tessa had a feeling it meant holy sh-

"WHOA! Watch the hands!" John yelled.

"Done!" the seamstress who was working on Penelope proclaimed. The curtains opened, and Lady Penelope stepped out. Samantha and Tess stood up from their place on a bench in the middle of the large room. Penelope was gorgeous . . . for a bride's maid. Though the pins still stuck out visibly, the makings of a good dress were in it. The pink was very becoming on Penny, and the single-strap seemed perfect for her figure. The rest of the dress was simple, but elegant. It fanned out a bit around the knee.

"It will look better once we get shawls," Samantha proclaimed, turning back to Tessa, "but all-in-all, it seems lovely. However, my opinion is nothing but crap, so what does the bride think?"

Tess smiled. "I love it," she turned her attention back to the seamstress, "and I promise I'll buy shawls today."

Tin-Tin came out then, in the exact same dress. She stood by Penelope and whispered something in her ear. Penelope nodded.

John ran out of the dressing room. "Tessa, this is _inhumane!_ That woman has stuck pins _everywhere_," He leaned towards her ear, "And I do mean _everywhere_."

She crossed her arms. "I'm sorry, John, but I can't help that. Now, if it's any consolation, I have to go now, so you can laugh at me while _I_ scream."

She walked towards the biggest curtained-area at that point, Samantha behind her. She stopped at the opening, though , and looked back. "But, incidentally, that pink tie is _gorgeous_ on you."

-

Virgil stared out at the ocean from the balcony. In his hands, he twisted a flower. It wasn't one from Kyrano's garden, but rather a wild flower that grew on its own. Tessa loved it, she'd told him it was her favourite. He could hardly wait for her to be back.

It seemed impossible to him that not quite a year and a half ago, he was perfectly happy amusing himself with music, painting, and missions. But she'd become so much to him . . .

Thousands of miles away, she was thinking about him. After hours of shopping for the few final touches for the dresses - jewellery, shoes, the shawls - she was ready to call it quits. John was too - partly as he'd been elected as bag-carrier.

"Exactly, Tess, _how_ many more bags _do we need?_" John questioned, a note of pleading in his voice. "I mean, I'm all for hanging out with beautiful girls and all, but now I'm just starting to get concerned with all the pink. That and the fact that two out of three of you are spoken-for."

Tessa chose not to comment on the "two out of three", and instead she sighed from where the four of them sat, sprawled out on a bench. "Well, I'm about ready to call it a day. It's 5 o'clock, and we've been at this for hours. Let's go back to Penny's."

Even Penelope seemed to want to give up. "I'll second that-"

"Third," Tin-Tin and John said at the same time.

Penelope already had her cell phone out. "Parker - it's me. Send the car around . . . on the corner of -" she paused, looking around, "- Samuel and Jackson . . . alright, see you then." She closed the phone and turned to Tessa. "He says he'll be about ten minutes."

Tessa barely heard her. "Right, sure." _Samuel and Jackson?_ she thought. _It couldn't be . . ._

She glanced over her shoulder, and her eyes widened. There it was. She couldn't believe it. Tessa turned around to fully take in the small bakery.

No one else would have noticed it, but Tessa immediately recognized the faded sign, the stained-glass windows, the homey look. It blended in so well, but to Tessa it stood out. She'd spent most of her life in the small apartment above it and so many hours in that bakery. A lot of memories she'd blocked came back and so many were painful.

_I baked some many loaves of bread a day, _she recalled, _but I could only barely feed us. _

"Are you okay?" John's voice and hand on her shoulder broke through her thoughts. She hurriedly wiped a tear balancing precariously at the corner of her eye.

Tessa tried to act as if nothing had happened. "Of course I am - I'm just a little tired . . . isn't that Parker coming up the street?"

-

The guard turned to Mimosa. "You may now enter, Miss. Granger."

She nodded a thank-you, and wandered into the private room. There, in a prison uniform, was her father. She couldn't help but notice the dark circles under his eyes, giving away his grief, as he spoke. "Mimosa, darling," he greeted her, getting up from the table to take her hand. She blinked at first, then smiled, taking his. As soon as she sat down, however, she let it go.

"Any news from my sister?" Mimosa asked, trying to sound casual, as if she only brought up the subject because she knew her father wanted to discuss it. In reality, she wanted her sister to _be_ her sister terribly.

The Hood sighed, casting his gaze downward. "She's stubborn - she went as far as to call the prison and disallow my calls, visits with her, et cetera. I've heard nothing, but I know she's in London . . . probably something to do with that infernal marriage of hers."

_If it's so infernal, why did you agree when Virgil asked you if he could marry her? _Mimosa thought to herself. "Likely," was all she could say.

The Hood's tone suddenly became angry. "The guards have even informed me that she's thinking of pressing charges for the kidnapping that happened close to a year ago. Who does she think she is? I'm her father!" The rage in his voice would have never been mistaken for anything else, but Mimosa's empathic powers were running high. She knew that the Hood was feeling more hurt than angry . . . more so, he wanted revenge.

Mimosa may have wanted her sister, but she'd wanted a father for far longer. "What do you propose we do about it?" she asked.

He calmed down slightly, and after a moment, he let a low laugh echo in his throat. "I have a few ideas . . ."

-

It was the familiar images. They were back. Somehow they'd managed to find her, even though she now lay in a strange bed, in a large home, in a darkened room.

It was so normal, she knew the play off by heart. Every line, every motion, every feature of every person. Finally her part came. The minister droned for a moment, then finally asked his fatal question: ". . . till death do you part?"

Tessa answered, as always, "I do."

The minister smiled upon them, but nowhere near as brightly as Virgil grinned at her. "It is my honour to now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

The moment had come.

Virgil leaned forward, reaching up carefully, and pulling back her veil. Her hands went around his waist, and his immediately dropped down to hers. Their eyes began to shut, and Tessa could swear she actually felt his breathe on her skin as he began to kiss her.

Then the oh-too-familiar shot rang out.

Tessa's eyes shot open. Instinctively, she looked over at Jeff. His expression was exactly the same as always - shocked, and desperate, but otherwise fine. She looked up at Virgil, and the terrible pain was on his face, but this time, something seemed different. She could tell it was hurting him _more _than ever.

Then she felt it.

She felt the cold, crimson blood staining the front of her dress. The bullet had gone right through, she knew. She removed a hand from his waist, and laid it on her chest, gasping for breath. She felt herself collapsing into Virgil's arms, but there was nothing she could do about it.

She felt the floor of the church on her skin and Virgil's hand under her head. His hand reached for hers, and she saw his face for a brief moment. She saw his pain, far worse than her own, but she could not muster the strength to say anything. Her head fell to the side.

Tessa saw the forms of two people in the shadows. They were barely visible, but it was quite obvious they were arguing.

The last thing she heard was a tear-filled "I love you," and then everything darkened.

-

Tessa woke up, literally screaming in terror. _Where am I? Where's Virgil? Oh, God, why have I been placed in someone else's room?_

She was shaking in fear, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Was this what her father was planning to do? She was realizing it now. Maybe these were premonitions as to what was going to happen. Maybe he was watching her right now.

She dared not move from her bed. She was scared straight, another tear streaming down her cheeks. Of course, her reaction hadn't been half of what it was the first time she'd dreamed _Virgil_ had died. That time, she'd cried all night, Virgil himself had stayed up with her, convincing her that it was all a dream and that it would never happen. He was safe and would continue to be safe after the wedding.

_Virgil . . ._ all she wanted right now was his arms around her. But, she suddenly realized, he was thousands of miles away.

The door of the room abruptly flung open, and the light was flicked on. Parker stood in the frame, in a complete bedtime ensemble that included a nightcap, a look of horror on his face. "I came as quick as I could. I 'eard you screaming and I 'ad to run up 'ere from my quarters by m'lady's room. What's wrong, Miss?"

She leaned back against the bedframe, relaxing a little at the sight of a familiar face. "I - I'll be fine. Just a bad dream . . . _really_ bad dream."

He took a few steps closer. "Is there anything I can get you? The Lady of the 'ouse usually likes a glass of water and 'er teddy when she has a bad dream-" a look of horror crossed his face. "But don't let 'er know I said that."

Tessa smiled in spite of herself. But it quickly faded. She thought for a moment. "Could you perhaps bring me the phone?"

-

Virgil turned over in his sleep, a smile crossing his face.

"Aw, that's wonderful, Tessa . . . oh, wow, that's great . . . far better than Alan anyway. That kid has no idea what he's doing," he muttered in his sleep.

Jeff stood over him, mortified. He clutched the phone in his hand. He shuttered at the thoughts that crossed his mind as to what his son might be dreaming. He shook his head and spoke up, "Virgil!"

Virgil jumped in his sleep. He looked around, squinting, until he spotted his dad. "Hmm...? Dad?" He groaned, getting up. "Alright, alright, I'll get my uniform on. What pod do I use?"

Jeff shook his head. "No, no, no. It's just the phone." He handed it to Virgil and turned to walk away. He stopped in the door though and turned back. "By the way - I know I'm going to regret this - but what were you dreaming about?"

Virgil blinked. "I was judging a baking contest . . ," he replied, in a tone implying that it should have been obvious. "Why? Was I talking again?"

Jeff sighed in relief. "No reason . . . and, uh, yes . . . you were." He left then, shutting the door behind him.

Virgil held the phone up to his ear and sat down on the bed. "Hello?" he asked in that high-pitched tone that is begotten from being awoken too soon.

There was silence on the other end.

"Hello? This is Virgil?" he said again, in the same voice that made everything sound like a question.

There was deep, troubled breathing on the other end.

"Who's there?" he asked, a little worried.

There was a pause. Then a small voice that he'd recognize in a heartbeat spoke up. "I just wanted to hear your voice . . ." He could tell from the way that the voice got more distant, she wasn't going to talk for very much longer.

"Tess!" he called out. "Baby, please don't hang up." There was a pause, in which no dial tone appeared.

There was heavy breathing again, for a long while. "I had that dream . . . he killed_ me_ this time," she finally replied.

It was Virgil's turn to pause. _She died?_ "And . . . what about me?"

"You lived . . . but, you didn't exactly seem happy with the idea."

Virgil was about to yell out, _You're darned right I'm not happy with that idea!_, but he didn't. "What . . how did . . . who exactly . . ." There were no words. What do you say when your girlfriend has just died in her dream and, despite what you want to believe, there's a good chance it will come true?

"Yes?" she asked, sniffling.

He thought for a moment, but did not hesitate when he spoke. "Just give me an hour."

-

It took him less than that to reach London.

He arrived there a good 10 minutes before schedule, in a secluded wood beside Penny's home. He'd thought that he might have difficulty smuggling Thunderbird One, but in reality, most of his problems had arose when it came time to drive it. He hadn't wanted to bring his own ship - why would you bring an entire cargo ship when all you needed was a fast craft to get from point A to B?

Virgil's only worry now, as Parker escorted him to Tessa's door, was how his father was going to react when he found out in the morning that: a) his son was missing, b) his scout ship was also missing, c) Tessa was likely going to get murdered by her own father and d) that a had stolen b to spend the night with c.

Parker abruptly stopped in front of a large oak door and turned around, facing Virgil once again. "Here you are, sir. Miss Highlander is expecting you."

Virgil was slightly shocked when Parker did not insist on Virgil having his own room. "You don't find this arrangement at all . . . inappropriate?" he questioned.

Parker smiled. "I know enough to trust you, Mr. Tracy. I also know that if I _did_ give you a separate room, you'd spend the entire night opening every door to find Miss. Highlander anyway."

Virgil grinned and opened the door, making sure to close it tightly behind him. There, perched on the bed was Tessa, in silk pyjamas he'd bought her once. He knew for a fact that she did not wear them often. He set his suitcase down beside the door as she got up and walked towards him.

She eyed him up and down, as he did her. She took a final step towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck as he rested his hands on her waist. "I can't believe you borrowed the jet and flew all the way here just to see me," she said, clearly unaware that he had stolen her Thunderbird and then flown all the way across the ocean in his pyjamas.

Instead of correcting her though, Virgil leaned forward and kissed her lips softly. "It was worth it," was all he said.


	5. Letting Go

**Chapter Five: Letting Go**

Scott sat up, flinging Lana - who'd fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder - clear off the bed. Needless to say, she woke up too.

"Scott!" his wife yelled, rather annoyed, "What the heck are you thinking! I'm not exactly supposed to be thrown around in-"

He looked around, disoriented, his hair in every direction. She'd stopped yelling only because Jeff had started again. "What's his problem?" Scott mumbled, getting up out of the bed.

"_His_ problem?" Lana yelled, standing up. "_You're _the one I'd be worrying about right around now."

Scott stood up from where he'd bent over to grab a shirt. "I'm sorry, Lana," he said genuinely, taking her hands in his, "You _know_ I didn't wake up like that on purpose. And you _know_ I know you're not supposed to be tossed around-"

"Yer darned right!" she yelled, her accent coming through thickly. She shuddered in anger, withdrawing her hands and crossing her arms. A couple of deep breaths later, though, she calmed down enough to forgive him. The same could not be said for Jeff.

As the couple made their way down the hall, the cussing grew louder. They rounded the corner to find their father all but jumping up and down with anger. His face was as red as either of them had ever seen it and his arms were flailing as if he did not know what to do.

Gordon soon appeared, followed closely by Tin-Tin's parents. Scott was the first to brave talking. "Dad . . ," he began slowly, looking to his wife for inspiration, "are you okay?"

Jeff abruptly stopped and stared at his son. Scott almost shook with fear. "No," Jeff managed to say through gritted teeth, a vein in his neck pulsing. "I most certainly am _not_ okay, Scott."

He turned away and walked behind his desk. He ripped the cordless phone off the charger and rapidly dialled a number. He collapsed into his leather chair, staring at his eldest son.

Lana looked around her, having noticed one of her brothers was now missing. "Scott," she whispered, trying to be discrete, "where's your brother?"

Scott looked around, then looked at his dad. A sick feeling swept through his stomach. "Dad? This wouldn't have anything to do with Virgil not being here, would it?"

He took his father's loud, incomprehensible yell as a yes.

–

As Tessa woke up, she looked around in wonder at the room she was in. It was the same feeling drunks get when they wake up in somewhere that they've never been. Soon, though, the feeling wore off and the events of last night came back to her. She leaned back against her pillow with a secret smile on her face.

There was a small groan from beside her, she turned over to see that Virgil was waking up. She placed her hand delicately on the side of his face as his eyes flitted open. It took him a moment to figure out what was going on, but he caught on quicker than Tessa. And unlike her smile, he groaned in an embarrassed way.

"I fell asleep, didn't I?" he asked, only one eye open as he said it.

She laughed, removing her hand from his face.

He cringed with laughter, and wiped the side of his face as if he could make his embarrassment go away. "Oh, man . . . I'm sorry, Tess. I had _no_ intentions of falling asleep what-so-ever."

She leaned on her fist. "I gathered that." She began to blush.

Virgil turned towards her, taking her free hand in his. "Darling . . . _sweetheart_, I promise I will make it up to you."

Tessa smirked, dropping her fist. In truth, she had been this close to falling asleep herself. She let go of his hand and rolled over so that her back was to him. "You had your chance." A smile was on her face the entire time.

Virgil was about to protest when -

_Knock, knock._

They both sat up, as the person behind the door brought them back into reality. _Parker_, Tessa mouthed in Virgil's direction.

_Knock, knock,_ the person on the other side of the door persisted.

"Alright, alright, Parker!" Tessa said, slipping out of bed and putting on her slippers. "I'm coming!"

"This is _not_ Parker!" a very annoyed upper-class British accent called out.

Virgil shot Tessa a look of pure fear. "Penny!" he whispered. He quickly hopped out of bed, but not before Lady Penelope had the door open . . .

. . . and almost fell over from the sight of Virgil and Tessa just getting out of bed. After all, Tess _was_ wearing the night gown Virgil himself had described, upon giving it to her for her birthday, as 'Not doing the greatest job of keeping Victoria's Secret'. "Oh, mmm . . ," Penny looked to the ceiling, her voice exasperated. "just what I need." She rolled her eyes. Tessa walked over to her.

"Penny, it's not what it looks like," she persisted, eyes wide.

She just shook her head, and lifted the cell phone - she'd kept it hidden behind her back - to her ear. "I stand corrected. Virgil is _indeed_ here . . . yes, of course," she said, every word spoken with a bit more annoyance than the last. She handed the phone to Tessa and Virgil (who had just made it to the front of the room). "It's for you."

Virgil took the phone in two fingers, making a face as if it were the most terrifying thing he'd ever held. "Dad?" he asked cautiously, trying to smile.

He quickly held the phone at arm's length, and could still hear every single word being shouted at him. When his father paused for breath, he took it as an opportunity to explain himself. "Dad - I just thought-"

"Oh, you thought? Is _that_ what you did? Because it certainly doesn't seem like it to me!" Jeff yelled back at him. Virgil could hear the vein in his father's neck pulsing.

"Since I'm here, maybe we could -"

"Could what? Rescue some people while wearing jeans? Take Thunderbird One out for another joyride? DESTROY THE CITY? Tell me, Virgil, what have you planned for this craft? Does your _fiancée _know about your little adventure last night? Or do I have to tell her?"

Virgil gulped. His words tumbled out rather quickly. "T-T-T-Tess had nothing to do with this, Dad. Well, besides me meeting her, I mean. But it was all my idea. Don't bring her into this. I mean it. Let's just keep this between me and you."

"Put Tessa on the phone, Virgil," Jeff said in an overly calm voice.

"Now, Dad, be reasonab-"

"Put . . . Tessa . . . on . . . the . . . phone."

Virgil winced and handed the phone to a frightened Tessa. "He wants to talk to you."

Tessa took the phone. "Hi?"

She waited patiently while her soon-to-be-father-in-law explained the situation. It took about two minutes, and all she said was "mmhmm", "oh", "huh" and "I see". Virgil was getting nervous.

Finally the conversation came to an end. "Alright," she said in a perky voice. She was even smiling. _Smiling._ "Yes, Jeff. Could you give me a moment?" she asked politely, still smiling. She handed the phone to Penny, then turned to Virgil.

"VIRGIL - WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? You **stole** a **Thunderbird**! _My_ Thunderbird, to be exact! So, I repeat, _what were you thinking?_" Tessa exploded at him.

Yeah, this definitely wasn't going Virgil's way. "I . . . needed to see you. You know that."

"That is what _jets_ are for!" Tess yelled back.

_Great,_ thought Virgil, _now the vein in _her_ neck is pulsing._

He could see there was no way he was getting out of this alive. He winced, hoping Tessa would go easy on him. After all, the wedding was only two months off.

Penny lifted the phone to her ear. "I'll talk with them . . . yes . . . I'll phone you back later. Goodbye, Jeff." She snapped the phone shut.

"I - I needed to get here fast," Virgil stammered, sounding as if he were making it up as he went alone . . . not to say that wasn't _exactly_ what he was doing. "You were in need of comforting-"

Penelope gave him the strangest look. _I didn't think her face could do that . . ,_ Virgil thought.

"I mean . . . arr . . . you needed to talk to me . . . because I'm the only one who knows about the . . . uh . . . night terrors." _Yes, Virgil, _his inner voice comforted him,_ Night terrors. Nice excuse. Now please, do shut up before you get yourself in even deeper sh-_

"Night terrors?" Penelope questioned, turning then to Tessa, who had somehow managed to find her silk robe.

Tess looked down at the floor. Virgil knew she'd be mad at him later for telling . . . again. "Yes . . . I didn't want you to worry. Virgil is the only one who seems to be able to calm me down after one, so I called him."

"It was my idea to come. Not Tessa's," Virgil put in.

Lady Penelope paused for a moment. "And . . ," yet another pause ensued as she thought how to phrase her words, "what . . ? Did anything . . ?" She could not bring herself to say these things. A lady of her stature did not usually have to talk about this sort of thing.

Virgil and Tessa both shook their heads, looking as if they were scared. "Absolutely nothing happened," Tess insisted, resisting the urge to add _because he fell asleep._

There was a moment of silence. Penelope was thinking, and the pair seemed to understand that they were not to speak again.

Finally, Penny looked back up at them. "Alright . . . well, Tessa, I think you and I both know that we couldn't really get done what we needed to by the end of tomorrow anyway . . . but we'll have to send back Tin-Tin and John in a couple days so that International Rescue isn't short-staffed. We could probably have them fly home in Thunderbird One."

Virgil looked at Tess. Was she saying what he thought she was saying . . . ?

"So," Penelope finished, "I guess you two could stay an extra week or so and finish all this wedding stuff. _But_ on the condition that you _sleep in separate rooms this time_."

Please. If it didn't happen at home on the island, they certainly weren't going to sleep in separate rooms here. Still, they had to agree, wedding plans were looming . . .

"Alright," Tess finally stated. "It's a deal."

–

**MuffinTree37:** So . . . did you figure it out yet?

**HoboJoe214: **Figure out . . . what, exactly?

**MuffinTree37:** rolleyes You know. The whole "I know who you are" thing.

**HoboJoe214: **Oh! That!

Pause

**MuffinTree37:** )- I'll take that as a 'no'.

**HoboJoe214:** You'd be right if you did. :P

**MuffinTree37:** Any guesses?

**HoboJoe214:** Okay! I confess! I'm not who you think I am! I am an international spy who's soul mission is to make sure the world's supply of jelly donuts never dives too low.

**MuffinTree37:** rolleyes That was so funny, I forgot to laugh.

**HoboJoe214: **Could you give me a hint? Even a little one?

**MuffinTree37:** How about I just tell you?

**HoboJoe214: **Would you? Please?

**MuffinTree37:** . . . Promise not to crack a joke or dump me?

**HoboJoe214: **Why would I dump you for something I am . . . ?

**MuffinTree37:** Do you _promise?_

**HoboJoe214:** Okay, I promise I will not dump you for whatever it is you are planning on saying next.

**MuffinTree37: **And . . . ?

**HoboJoe214: **And I promise not to make a joke or flip out.

pause

**MuffinTree37 nervously: **Gordon, you're the first guy I've ever really been in love with.

_Long_ pause

**MuffinTree37: **Well . . . ?

**HoboJoe214: **I . . . don't know what to say.

**MuffinTree37: **I knew you'd freak out.

**HoboJoe214: **Mim, wait -

**MuffinTree37 HAS LOGGED OFF**

–

John had enough for one morning. The sight of his brother at breakfast had been shocking enough. Then finding out he'd spent the night with Tessa (though was completely denying anything at all happened) was almost too much. Something about the humour in Tessa's face told him that nothing happened at all but, still, even the _idea_ of something happening between his brother and his best friend was revolting.

So, he'd decided to take a guy's day and stroll around London. Of course, when he announced his intentions to Lady Penelope, she'd insisted Parker go with him. John reluctantly agreed, but managed to "lose" Parker somewhere in the mall.

So now John was left alone to entertain himself - which suited him just fine. Why on Earth anyone would want to be escorted everywhere like the royal family was beyond him.

He rounded the next corner and his eyes fell upon a faded old sign above a bakery. John looked at his watch, realizing it was lunchtime, almost exactly. _I wonder if they sell sandwiches._

As he walked into the shop, a little bell tinkled above his head. _Cute_, he thought, _just like the rest of this place._ A quick look around had revealed a small shop, where most of the tables were round and made of wood. There was a counter, and a glass display showing off beautiful cakes and wonderfully decorated cupcakes. He saw just a little bit down from this case was another counter, this one looking as if it were meant to be a deli. And, just before the area opened up into the dining section, a staircase grew from the floor to the next level.

"I'll be right there!" A Scottish accent called from the top of these stairs, apparently hearing the bell.

"Take your time," John called back, still observing this place. It was unusually quiet for being lunchtime. But then, he supposed, it was just after one. The rush was probably over.

Footsteps pounded the stairs. John half-expected a large person to be the cause of them by the noise. But, instead, a slender girl appeared at the stairs. She wore an old apron that was covered in flour and bits of dough. Her sleeves were rolled up past her elbows, revealing hands that had been hastily washed. On her face were several smudges of flour and her dirty-blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail.

"May I help ya?" she asked with her accent, a smile on her face.

To a lot of people, she would have seemed a mess . . . but John saw her as beautiful.

"Yes," he answered too quickly, "- Or, at least, I hope so."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Ya hope so?"

_Stupid!_ he silently scolded himself. "I mean, can you make a sandwich with - er, _for_, me?"

He could tell she was stifling a laugh. "Considering this is a sandwich shop _and_ bakery, I think I can." She giggled as she moved toward the deli. He followed her. "So what do ya want?"

He looked confused. "A sandwich."

She closed her eyes and just laughed. "I meant who do ya want on it?"

"Who? I, uh, thought you were going to make it." This girl was terribly confusing John.

She blushed. "I meant 'what'. . . what do you want on it?"

"Sure you did," he reassured her with a grin. In a sexy voice, he asked, "Can I get a BLT on rye?"

She smiled and nodded, which seemed like the smart thing to do considering her inarticulateness today. She took out some fresh bread and began to put toppings on it. "Would you like mayonnaiseon top?" she said carefully, not wanting to embarrass herself again.

He laughed. "Sure."

She squeezed the mayo onto the pile of toppings and handed it to him. "That will be £1.50."

He handed her the money, and took the sandwich. "Thank you - would you like to have lunch with me?" He couldn't believe he'd had the nerve to ask her. Oh, she was going to turn him down so quick his head was going to spin, he just knew it.

"I'm sorry," she said, an apologetic look on her face.

He grinned. "That's okay; thanks for the sandwich." John turned towards the door to leave.

"But I'm free for dinner!" the blonde called after John. He paused and looked at her. She smiled at him. "There's a diner just around the corner from here. I'll be waiting there at six. And, by the way, the name's Shauna."

–

Jeff hung up the phone. "That was Penny."

Scott stood up from where he sat on the couch with a tired Lana. He was fully dressed now, as was she, but they looked like they should still be in bed. His eyes were dark from apparent lack of sleep. "What's going on?" he asked.

Jeff stood up and walked to his son. "The plan is that since Virgil is there anyway, they might as well stay and get some wedding plans done. The two of them are planning to stay another week, give or take a few days."

"But that leaves us short-handed! We only have two people - well, plus Brains," Scott protested.

Jeff was a bit annoyed at his son's interruption, but he let it slide. "As I was saying, those two are going to stay there, but John and Tin-Tin will be coming home in a couple of days, and will fly the Thunderbird home then. They just need to have a final fitting. And -" he began again, anticipating his son's next interruption, "- in the meantime, we also have Lana who can go out, giving us a solid four. And we can always ask them to take the Thunderbird to a scene."

Scott sat beside his wife. He wasn't sure that he wanted her going on a mission right now. Lana had been sick now for awhile. His dad insisted that she just wasn't used to the heat, but Scott worried about her.

–

"Oh, Tin-Tin!" Tessa gushed, rising to greet her cousin, who'd just stepped out of the dressing room in the newly finished dress. "That just looks beautiful!"

". . . for a bride's maid dress," Tin-Tin mumbled.

Tessa thought the dress looked pretty good. She wanted her wedding to be the way _she and Virgil_ wanted it. That was why she'd designed the clothing herself. She didn't want one of those Chanel or Gucci weddings all of Virgil's private school classmates would be having. Her and Virgil's wedding was going to be the way they wanted it, down to the outfits.

Penny had already gone, as did John. John hated anything having to do with the seamstress, but this time it had been more bearable. That might have been because there were no longer pins anywhere. Virgil and Tessa were the only ones left to go.

The seamstress was fawning over Tin-Tin now, making sure everything unsightly was hidden, all her good features framed, etc. Finally, after a few minutes of this, the seamstress let her change back to her jeans and a tee shirt.

"Virgil, your turn," the seamstress announced. Virgil was sitting with Tessa, his arm wrapped around her. He took his arm from around his fiancée. Virgil walked up to the lady, grabbed the tux Tessa had designed for him and went into a room.

Tessa sat anxiously. She really hoped it looked alright. It was one thing for her bride's maids or dude-of-honour to look stupid, but if her husband did, she would have been mortified. She sat there patiently.

Finally, he appeared. Tessa only half let out the breath she was holding. It fit, but did he like it?

Virgil examined himself in the mirror. His tuxedo was formal, but it was light enough that he wouldn't sweat through it on the island. It had a wonderfully cut jacket, and a silver vest and matching bow-tie (one that wasn't too cheesy). He was so happy with it and especially the fact she hadn't made any of it pink.

He turned around and looked directly at Tessa as he spoke to the seamstress. "It looks and fits great."

Tess beamed. "Good," the seamstress said. "Now take it off quickly and then leave the room. We need to fit Tessa now, and you cannot see."

Tess laughed. He turned around and went back into the dressing room. Virgil came out less than a minute later and handed the outfit to the seamstress. He stopped only briefly on his way out to help Tessa up. She stood, and he kissed her. "Don't be to long," he whispered playfully in her ear. With that, he went outside to wait.

Tess was very nervous. Last time they'd changed so many things. She took the bag from the lady and walked into the change room. As she began to put it on, she hoped it would look alright. She straightened the necklace she had on and stood in her room for a little bit, feeling too nervous to walk out.

But she managed. When she walked out, no one said anything. She walked over to the mirror to see what was wrong. Nothing was.

She was beautiful.

–

**HoboJoe214:** Mimosa, I know you're there. Please say something.

**HoboJoe214: **Mim, I swear I'm not angry. And I'm _not_ going to brake up with you. I . . . I really like you.

**MuffinTree37:** But you think this is going too fast?

**HoboJoe214:** Yes . . . I mean, no. I don't know. I really don't.

**MuffinTree37:** I don't either. I really like what we have . . . I guess I made that obvious. What should we do?

**HoboJoe214:** Well . . . I don't know. Maybe we should slow things down.

**MuffinTree37:** Gordon, if you hadn't noticed, we're in an internet relationship. Things can't get much slower.

**HoboJoe214:** I suppose you're right. Maybe we should just let things take their course. Move on.

**MuffinTree37:** Okay. : ) Anything new on your end?

**HoboJoe214:** My brother is going to come home soon. He'll be here for a couple weeks, then he's going away again.

–

John laughed at Shauna, who had sauce on her chin. He took a napkin and dabbed it away. This was their third time out in two days. He was leaving late that night.

"Do you really have to go?" Shauna pouted. "It's been so much fun having you here these past few days."

He smiled - though it wasn't as if he hadn't been already. Shauna brought out the best in him. "I'm so sorry, but I really have to go. I was just up here for the wedding preparations."

"Well, you have to call me. And email me. Every chance you get . . . promise?" she asked, a sweet grin coming across her face. She tossed her layered, shoulder-length blonde hair over one shoulder.

He laughed, and took her hand, which was sitting on the table. "Promise."

–

Tessa was helping John to pack. "So, where have you been these past couple of days?" she asked in an innocent voice, as if she had no idea.

"Around," John replied playfully.

Tessa made a face at him. "Don't you lie to me, John Tracy. I know very well there's a girl involved. The look on your face is a dead giveaway."

He paused. Then grinned like an idiot. "Her name is Shauna."

Tessa nodded, smiling, as she folded a pair of pants and placed them into a suitcase. "Uh-huh, and what does she do?"

He shrugged, putting a few pairs of boxers into his suitcase. "She works at this cute little bakery and deli in London. I met her while . . ."

Tessa stopped paying attention momentarily, and paused in folding the shirt in her arms. Bells were going off in her head._ It couldn't be . . . could it? _"Where did you say she worked?"

"At a bakery on Jackson street. Why?" he asked, paying little attention to Tessa.

Tess put the shirt down and whirled around to look at him. "You're not talking about Shauna O'Dell are you? Blonde girl with a Scottish accent?"

John stood up and looked at Tessa. He smiled. "Yeah . . . ?"

"John, _I_ worked at that bakery. And I knew Shauna."

John stopped packing. "No way."

"Yeah." Tessa nodded.

He paused for a moment. "Does she know that you're supposedly dead?"

Tess looked at him like he was an idiot (which he was sometimes). "Yes, because I talk to her everyday - _how should I know?_ I haven't seen or heard from her since I left. Though I do know she's a bit young for you. As I recall, she was a few years younger than me. Wouldn't surprise me if she's just twenty now."

"I'm not _that_ old," John threw back at her playfully, resuming packing.

She rolled her eyes. "You're twenty-_seven_, and she's twenty-_nothing_. Do the math," she laughed.

He threw a shirt at her. She laughed and tossed it in the suitcase. "You're okay with this, right?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. As long as you never take me to that bakery," Tess finished seriously. Being in this situation any other time would have driven her insane. But having her fiancé around put Tess in a good mood.

"Deal," John announced, snapping the full suitcase shut.

–

John and Tin-Tin had left more than an hour or so ago. They were more than likely home by now. It was 11 p.m. Everyone was in bed.

Everyone except Tessa.

Armed with only slippers and a small flashlight that wasn't even on, she roamed the halls. Her mission was clear: sneak into Virgil's room without Penny or Parker noticing.

She desperately tried to remember the route to his room. All the doors seemed the same in this ridiculously huge mansion.

She reached the door she hoped was Virgil's. If it ended up being Penny's . . . well, she could always lie and say she got lost on her way to the bathroom. She creaked open the door . . .

. . . and was thankful to see Virgil sleeping in his bed. She grinned, and closed the door behind her. She walked up to his sleeping form and bent over to kiss him softly on the cheek. He stirred, but did not wake.

"Virgil . . ," she called softly. Nothing. "Virgil!" she whispered in a firmer voice.

That got him. When he saw her standing there, he sat up. "Tess? What's going on?" He thought for a moment. "Did you have that dream again?"

She shook her head. "No. I thought I'd prevent it instead of reacting to it." She leaned forward to kiss him, which he eagerly accepted. He got out of bed and stood up, letting the kiss deepen. When he finally pulled away, he smiled at her. With that, he ushered her into his bed.

He knew that if she slept in his bed, she wouldn't have those dreams. And she needed her sleep. The next few days would begin new nightmares for her.

–

"Welcome home, son!" Jeff called to his second-eldest as he entered the living room with Tin-Tin, having put away Thunderbird One. It was late in the evening and the family had settled down to spend it together, awaiting the arrival of Tin-Tin and John.

"It's good to be back where things are less pink," John joked.

Jeff rose to greet Tin-Tin. As he did so, John went over to the other side of the room where Scott stood with Lana. "Hey," he said, giving him a brotherly hug. Scott returned it and broke away. John hoped that things between them would start to be like they once were - friendly. Scott was his best friend, and he wanted someone to share his news of female companionship with.

But as he pulled away, John couldn't help but notice the tired look in Scott's eyes. Maybe the feeling was mutual.

–

Today was the day. Virgil looked lovingly at Tessa. She returned the look as they entered Maxwell Jewellers. Today was the day they intended to pick out their wedding rings. The previous day (their first day without John or Tin-Tin), they had picked out flowers and other various items. They'd also managed to find a minister, which was an enormous relief.

Maxwell's was a well-respected Jeweller in this particular area. The inside was decorated with wooden panelling, and many glass cases showed off various stones and pieces. Everyone in the store wore the same professional - but somehow elegant - vest and shirt combo. They had their hair all neatly done, as if this job paid the best they ever got. The owner himself greeted them. He liked to actually work at his business as opposed to sitting in the back doing paperwork. "Good morning," he greeted the couple with a genuine smile, "may I help you with anything today?"

Virgil grinned. "Yes, actually. We're here to pick out our wedding rings."

His smile broadened. "Oh, how lovely. Our display is over here." He escorted them to a gleaming glass case near the back.

Virgil and Tessa scanned the case. Before they got much of a chance to look at anything, the man had pulled out three pairs of rings and was asking them more questions. "Were you thinking of a silver band or a gold one?"

"Silver," Tessa replied. Two more pairs came out, and two went away.

"Were you thinking of a stone?"

Virgil fielded that one. "Yes." More rings came out, and a few went away.

"How about a setting? What were you thinking of?" "How about size?" "When's the wedding?" "May I see the engagement ring?" "Would you like the rings to match it?" "Have you thought about an engraving?" The questions flew out of the salesman's mouth almost faster than Virgil or Tessa could answer them.

Finally, they were left with a few choices on the counter. Virgil looked them over. None of them really suited his fancy. Some had incredibly small stones. Others looked . . . less than perfect. He looked over at Tessa. The owner was talking still, trying to point out many features of each ring. Tessa returned Virgil's gaze. The look in her eye told him that none of these suited her either.

The owner picked up on their silent discussion. He finished talking and looked up at them, as if to ask, "Well . . ?"

Virgil turned to his wife. "What do you think, Tess? See anything you like?" Tess knew he was just forcing her to give the man the bad news: they weren't going to purchase any of these and, no, they wouldn't be back when he had new ones in.

Tess decided to put her best acting into work. She sighed. "It's a really big decision . . . I'd much rather have some time to think it over before we get something that we're not going to be happy with."

"I agree," Virgil said, grinning at his wife, then the salesman. "We'll think it over."

"Alright," the man said, grinning at them.

They waved goodbye and left the store. And soon as the door closed behind them they burst into laughter.

"That guy was insane!"

"I think he takes the phrase 'customer service' a bit too seriously."

"Let's never go there again."

"No, let's not. Unless we're really bored."

They headed for the next store, a ways down the street. This one was more quiet, with an older sign posted above reading "London Jewellery." A bell tinkled above their heads as they entered the store, arms around each other's waist.

The place had a vintage feel. The wooden panelling was older, but still elegant. There was a woman in her late twenties or early thirties behind the counter. "Hello," she said simply, in a detached voice.

"Good morning," Tessa replied, looking around. Many of the pieces seemed to be one-of-a-kind. Some looked like something you would inherit when your rich grandmother died. None of this stuff looked brand new. Tessa didn't mind that as long as they weren't tarnished or anything.

"Do you sell wedding rings?" she asked the lady.

She shrugged her shoulders and threw her dyed-black hair behind her head. "'Might." She didn't even look at Virgil or Tessa.

Virgil shot Tessa a look that expressed his lack of hope for this place. He turned to the girl. "Do you know where they are usually?" She was chewing her lip, exposing the piercing in it.

She stopped chewing and stared at Virgil. "Look, we don't get wedding rings in, like, _ever_."

Virgil, still smiling at the girl, replied with, "Alright. Thank you anyway." He turned to his fiancé. "Let's go, honey."

She eagerly obliged. "Bye," she called to the girl, still trying to be friendly.

"What. Ever."

–

**HoboJoe214: **How are things in London?

**MuffinTree37: **Lonely. pouts I really wish you were here.

**HoboJoe214:** I'd love to join you, but I just can't. I'm in Scotland now. Work.

**MuffinTree37:** Yeah, I have to go back to work soon.

**HoboJoe214:** Yeah, but your work is _fun_.

**MuffinTree37:** rolleyes Everyone thinks that, but there's actually a lot of stress involved. There's a certain deadline we have to meet for each panel and if the subject isn't perfect in each one, there's hell to pay.

**HoboJoe214:** But you're a _comic book artist!_ Every little kid's _dream_.

**MuffinTree37: **I know.

**HoboJoe214: **You get to draw superheroes all day long. And you're living your dream.

Pause

**MuffinTree37:** I suppose.

**HoboJoe214:** Is something wrong?

**MuffinTree37:** I love my job, really I do. But my dad really wants me to leave it so I can be with him more. 'There are comic books in London,' he says. 'I wasn't around much when you were growing up, and I want to make up for it.' I tell him that he's not even English! He was living in the States when my parents met, but somehow he doesn't understand why we should go back there.

**HoboJoe214:** So what are you going to do?

**MuffinTree37:** I don't know. I love the States . . . but I love my dad. And being in London would make me closer to you.

**HoboJoe214: **It wouldn't matter where you were, I'd still care about you. Don't worry about me.

–

Virgil and Tessa stood over yet another glass case. The store was a lesser-known chain, but it seemed to have some fairly good items. They were smiling and thinking that maybe this would be the place where they got the perfect rings.

A middle-aged woman with brown hair appeared behind the counter in front of them. "Welcome," she began in a friendly voice. "Is there anything in particular you're looking for today?"

Tessa beamed at the lady. "Yes, we're picking out our wedding rings."

The woman smiled. "Aww!" she cooed. "Have you found anything you like so far?"

"Not as of yet, but we're hopeful," Virgil said . . . mostly he was telling the truth. Personally, he was getting a bit discouraged.

"Well then," the woman started off her pitch, "let me help you out." She opened up the cabinet, and began to show off pieces.

The first ring had a large stone on it. "This piece is a beautiful one. The setting is in the shape of a flower, and the husband's comes with an inscription of your choice."

Tessa smiled and nodded, but in reality, she didn't want all that. She looked a Virgil and laughed slightly. "I think we were going for something a bit more modest."

The woman grinned. "I know what you mean." She winked at Tess and Virgil, as if she knew what was on their minds. Again, she went into the case. "Not many practical people go for that sort of thing. But this - this piece is probably more what you're looking for."

She placed a set on the counter next to the other one. This one, the rings were identical, but there was absolutely no stone. _Wait,_ Virgil thought leaning in closer, _there it is_. He chuckled, "Maybe something with a slightly bigger stone."

The woman grinned, and pulled out one last pair. It was somewhere in-between the two. The husband's gleamed, with a perfectly matched band. The wife's had a stone on it that was almost the size they were looking for.

Tessa picked up the box they were in to look at them better. However, when she did the price tag dropped out. Virgil picked it up and happened to catch a glimpse. _They want how much?_ The price seemed to match the first pair the best.

She also happened to catch a glimpse of the price. Virgil was rich, that was a fact. But she really didn't want to spend that much on a ring. Tess knew that if she told him she loved these he'd buy them in a heartbeat. But, to be honest, something about the ring put her off. _The stone looks loose _. . , she thought to herself.

Tessa gave the lady a sorrowful look. "I'm sorry. I just really don't think any of these are what we're looking for." Virgil nodded his head in agreement.

"Alright," the woman said. "We've placed a new order, so some more should come in on Tuesday."

"Oh, we'll be back," Virgil lied through his teeth. With a fake smile, he and Tessa left. If their hopes were dashed before, they were almost gone by now.

–

John couldn't sleep. His sleep patterns while in orbit differed from when he was on Earth. So now, had he been in space, he would have been up. This was why he couldn't sleep right now.

It was early in the morning - around four. He had two or three hours left until everyone else got up. Since he hated to lie in bed doing nothing, he decided to get something to drink. Maybe that would calm him down. If it didn't . . . well, he could always watch TV in his room or the living room.

As he walked down the hall, he noticed that the bathroom door was closed. _Odd_, he thought. Maybe someone had gotten up to use the bathroom. He nodded to himself. That was likely it. John continued on his way to the kitchen.

When he reached it, though, he found he was not alone. There was Scott, sitting in his boxers and tee. He was sitting at the table, leaning over a cup of coffee. His eyes were half shut and he looked as if he would fall into the coffee at any minute, asleep.

"Scott?" John asked. "You okay?"

Scott jolted upright. He blinked at him. His voice had that awkward pitch to it that you get when someone wakes you up abruptly. "John . . . hey. Couldn't coffee," he held up his cup, which was definitely not doing its job, "so I thought I'd get some sleep."

John grabbed a cup and poured some for himself. This could take awhile. "So, you couldn't sleep and thought you'd get some coffee?"

"Yeah," he said, waking up a bit more and taking a sip, "what did I say?"

John shook his head. "Nothing that made any sense. Not that getting a cup of coffee to help you sleep does either." He took a seat adjacent to Scott at the table.

Scott put his head - or, rather, his face - into his hand. "I know . . . but I'm not going to sleep, so I figured coffee would be good."

John sat his cup down. "What's really wrong?"

Scott groaned. "It's Lana."

"Is it . . . marital?" John asked, starting to wonder if he could even help.

"Nope," Scott said, very drowsily. "It's actually her. She's sick."

"That's not so bad," John replied optimistically, "She should get over it in like a week or so."

Scott shook his head. He sat up in his seat. "No, no, she's had this for, like, weeks. Dad thinks it's her 'adjusting to the tropical air' or something like that."

John looked at his older brother seriously. "I sense that you don't agree."

Scott leaned forward. "Can you keep a secret?"

John nodded.

Scott visibly gulped. "Lana told me what she thinks is happening to her . . . it's serious. _Really_ serious. The worst part is, we're both pretty sure she's right . . . I mean, how could she not be? The only thing is, I've never been more scared of anything . . ."

–

This was it, they promised themselves.

This was the very last place they were going to stop to find their rings. The first guy had nothing the way they wanted, the second had nothing at all and those other places? Ugh. Take your pick of reasons.

"Maybe we're being too picky," Tessa suggested to Virgil.

Virgil shook his head. "Tess, almost all the places we've gone have either tried to sell us rings with no stone or ones that would put _Paris Hilton_ to shame."

"Yeah, I know . . ," she replied, entering the opening in the mall, "but it feels like it shouldn't be this hard."

Virgil looked at his soon-to-be wife as they walked into the store. "I promise you: if this place has nothing we like, we go home and try again later."

She nodded, as they entered the store.

They were in there for about ten minutes. Everything was going great. The salesperson wasn't pushing them, nor were they leaving them entirely alone. They were looking over a few pieces, almost certain the perils of the day were winding to a close.

That's when Tessa just happened to look up. _Oh, no . . . my luck couldn't be _that _bad! _She elbowed Virgil to draw his attention. He too looked up and saw. Only he cursed under his breath.

There, clearly making her way towards them, was Mimosa Granger.

She grinned at Tessa and Virgil as her black heels clicked their way to where the pair were standing. "Hello, Tessa," she said in a sweet voice. She tossed her head back, sending a cascade of black wavy locks behind her head as she turned. "And you must be Virgil."

"You must be Mimosa," he said sarcastically. This was the first time Virgil got to meet the woman - and, yes, she acted like a _woman_ as opposed to a girl - who had single-handedly destroyed the relationship Tessa had been building with her father. Mimosa was relatively short, to be honest. At her tallest, she stood maybe 5' 4", giving her sister the advantage of height. She was dressed in a cute black dress (fancy enough to wear to a club, but casual enough to stalk your sister and her fiancé in the mall), and clutched a black Chanel purse her left hand.

She drew her dark lips into a smile that matched Virgil's sarcasm. Having given him her response, she turned back to Tessa. "Daddy and I were wondering when you were going to give up this little scheme to get back at him, and come join us again." She smiled and blinked. What she lacked in size, she clearly made up for in attitude.

Tessa laughed briefly. "Well, you're rather blunt. But you're also terribly wrong. This isn't a 'scheme' to get back at your father or you. And I am _not_ going to become involved in any sort of charade that involves The Hood. And what's this 'again' thing all about? As I recall, I only met you little over a month ago and it didn't go well."

Mimosa glanced for half a second or less at Tessa's hand, but Tessa still caught it. For a moment, she couldn't understand why she would look there. Then realization dawned on her. _The Hood actually talks to her and tells her things vital to her health. Impressive. _

Mimosa looked her straight in the eye. There was a dare in there, Tessa could see it. "Come on, Tessa. We both know you've just been spying on the Tracys. First you're 'shipwrecked' on their island. Next, you start dating Virgil - just as your father heads off to jail. No doubt you only did that to reassure Jeff and the rest that you were with them. Poor Virgil - you even accepted his proposal!" She paused to laugh. "Just admit you don't love Virgil Tracy and you've been playing him all along. Then things can go back to the way they once were."

Tessa stared at Mimosa for a moment, dead speechless. Part of her wanted to call her a liar and beat her face in. The other parts of her wanted to scream that she was a liar and beat her face in.

Instead, she did the one thing she knew would scare Mimosa more than anything. She gave a fierce look in her direction. Making sure Mimosa would see it, Tessa balled her right fist, though she had no intentions of hitting Mimosa. "Take that back," Tessa said darkly. Tessa could feel her eyes changing to their green slits - she could also feel her hand warming.

Mimosa's eyes darted to Tessa's hand. Clearly, even to Virgil, fear filled them. She stood up tall (well, tall for Mimosa) and looked at Tessa directly. "You have a problem with the truth?" she asked in a brave voice.

"Truth, I have no problem with," Tessa said, starting to raise her fist, "but the crap you're giving out? Yeah, I have a problem with that." She relaxed her hand, and used it to grab Virgil's arm. "Let's go, Virgil."

They turned away to leave. As they walked down the hall, they could hear Mimosa call, "Think about it."

Virgil turned to Tessa. She was so mad right then, you could almost see her shake. "Are you okay?" he asked. She shook her head, and he sat down with her on the closest bench.

She put her head in her hands. Tessa was close to tears. "Why Gordon would ever like her is beyond me . . . and if you stay with me after that little speech she gave, it'll be a miracle."

He placed his hand under her chin and lifted it up. "Look at me, Tessa," he demanded in a firm but gentle voice. "I would never believe a word that came out of that girl's mouth. Or your father's for that matter. I love you. I'm not going to leave you."

She smiled up at him and shifted closer. "I love you. I swear I would have never even agreed to see him after the kidnapping if I had known it would bring this upon us." Tess looked down again.

"It's okay," he reassured her with a smile, placing an arm around her shoulders. "I'm glad you had time to be with your father. I know he's not the greatest, but he's still family."

Tessa looked up at him, smiling. "How did I get lucky enough to have you?" she asked aloud. She didn't care who saw, then. She kissed him right there, in the middle of the mall.

When she broke away, Virgil smiled at her. "C'mon. Let's go home."

–

**HoboJoe214:** Hey, baby.

**MuffinTree37:** Oh . . . hey. I didn't see you on.

**HoboJoe214:** That's okay. How are you?

**MuffinTree37:** Let's cut the small-talk.

**HoboJoe214:** Uh, okay. Is something the matter?

**MuffinTree37:** Look, Gordon, we knew this couldn't go on forever like this, right?

**HoboJoe214: **What? Well, I guess.

**MuffinTree37:** I mean, even if you did love me back, how would this work out? You're _always_ on some mission 'for the Queen'. Even if I happen to travel across the ocean, you can't find the time to see me.

**HoboJoe214:** Be fair, now. I had no idea you were coming and couldn't plan for it!

**MuffinTree37:** Oh, come on, you could have at least mentioned 'Hey, I'm going to Scotland!' in one of your messages!

**HoboJoe214: **I thought it wouldn't matter! You're in the _States_ for crying out loud! It's not like you're going to walk over to my house one day for tea and find I'm not home and call the police!

**MuffinTree37:** Don't you get it? This isn't working! Our relationship is based on instant messaging, but we don't communicate! And, Gordon, I can't live off of IMs. Even if you were to tell me you loved me back, where would we live? With my messed-up family in London, where your job is? Where my messed-up life in the States is?

Long Pause

**HoboJoe214:** Please tell me you aren't saying what I think you are. Tell me I'm not losing you. I . . . I do love you.

**MuffinTree37:** I'm sorry, it's too late. Gordon, it's over. Let it go.

**HoboJoe214:** Please, don't -

**MuffinTree37 HAS LOGGED OFF**

–

"How are things coming along with the wedding?" Jeff asked Virgil, who was standing in his office area now. Jeff wanted to know all the details. He'd missed the first wedding one of his sons had - he didn't want to miss anything about the second.

It was getting late. Scott and Lana were standing on the balcony together. Scott's arm was visibly around Lana's waist. Her face was in her hands. She had been crying all night, but no one seemed to know why.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. Besides Scott, who wasn't saying anything, John (now challenging Brains to a game of chess in the corner) seemed oddly quiet. He didn't press for details like the others. And he seemed to have an odd air of empathy surrounding him. Gordon was in his room, the strum of his guitar a faint whisper from down the hall. The tune was a sad one, but for a reason he didn't seem willing to discuss. Jeff was pretty sure this was over Mimosa . . . he would have to give his son the "more fish in the sea" lecture the next time they were alone.

As for Tin-Tin and Tessa, both were in the latter's room. They were unpacking and talking about nothing of consequence.

Virgil sat in a chair nearby his father. He looked over at Jeff. "Well, we managed to get a minister and some flowers. The outfits are done, basically. So we've made pretty good progress." He gave a fake smile.

Jeff knew his sons too well for this. Something was bothering Virgil. "But . . . ?" he prompted, one of his eyebrows raised.

Virgil shrugged. "Shopping for rings was a nightmare. I know we've still got awhile but . . . it was _horrible_. The first place was pushy and there was nothing decent. The next place supposedly didn't even sell wedding rings . . . everything was over-priced or nothing like what we want. I don't know how much of that I could take."

Jeff nodded. He brought his hands close to his face, rubbing the fingers on his left hand with the thumb on his right. He looked directly at Virgil. "You do have lots of time, you know. You don't _have _to get the rings right now. You're pretty far ahead as it is with planning."

Virgil nodded. Thoughtful, he replied, "I just want to get something perfect. For Tessa."

The nod Jeff gave Virgil in response was vacant. He was staring out the window across from his desk. The sun was setting over the water, leaving a glow that was almost surreal. Jeff was lost in thought. His eyes seemed to be searching the waters for something.

He turned to his middle son and smiled at him. Jeff stood up from the desk and motioned for Virgil to do the same. "Come on, there's something I want to show you."

Virgil stood up, clueless to what his father was thinking. He followed Jeff from behind the desk. They headed down the hallway and were soon in his father's room.

It was a rarity that there was cause to go into Jeff's room. Jeff spent little time in there. Most of his time was spent tending to the Thunderbirds or sitting at his desk. Sometimes you could find him on the beach, wondering. But not often was he in his own room.

The room was dark green in colour, having been co-ordinated right down to curtains and bed sheets. Pictures hung on the walls and sat on most available surfaces. They were pictures of the boys growing up, the boys at their first jobs, wedding pictures Scott had given him, even a picture of Tessa and him that he'd received for father's day.

But a lot of the pictures were of Lucy, his diseased wife. Jeff hardly let anyone know, but he never had gotten over her. He had pictures of her around the room, with a large one beside his door. He still wore the ring she'd given him on their wedding day. Her death had haunted him for many years, driving him to create International Rescue in her honour . . . driving him to raise his children right.

Now was not the time to dwell on the past, however. Now was a time to think of the future, Jeff reminded himself.

He made his way over to the box sitting on the desk. The one Virgil had given him as a father's day present. He opened it.

–

Virgil couldn't see what his father was doing. The box he'd given him two months ago was now sitting open on the desk. He was sifting through various objects. He finally sat something down in front of the box and closed it. Virgil could not make out what it was.

Then he noticed Jeff pulling off the ring on his left hand. He placed it and the other object into his palm. With that, he turned around to face Virgil.

Jeff extended his palm to Virgil. "Are these anything like what you and Tessa were looking for?" In his hand were two wedding rings.

Virgil looked at them with a fixed stare. "Those are yours and mom's rings."

Jeff blinked. "Yes, they are. But that was not what I asked you." His tone was serious but in no way stern.

Virgil shook his head. His gaze shifted from the rings to his father and back again. "I . . . I can't accept these. I can't."

"Again," Jeff informed Virgil, "that was not the question given."

There was a pause, in which Virgil tried to fathom what was going on. "Yeah. Yeah, those . . . they're a lot like what we had in mind," he managed to stammer out.

Jeff took his son's hand, and placed them in it. "Take them." He let go of his son's hand after speaking.

Virgil stared at his father. He held up the ring with the stone in it. "This was mom's ring. She told you to take it when she died. You should be keeping it."

Jeff smiled. "She would have rather had it passed down than have me keep it forever." He pushed his son's extended hand back.

There was a long pause in which no one said anything. Finally, Virgil looked at his father. Closing his hand, he smiled, tears in his eyes . "Thanks, Dad. This means a lot to me _and_ Tessa."

His father hugged him for a brief moment, then let him go to tell his fiancée the good news.

As Virgil left the room, he cast a final grateful and unbelieving look his father's way. He then closed the door, leaving his father alone.

Jeff sat down on the bed. He looked out the window, smiling. It was the start of a new chapter for the both of them. And it felt good.


	6. Father Knows Best

**Chapter Six: Father Knows Best**

_Earlier that month . . ._

They sat at a table, in an undecorated room. A guard was standing outside the door, making sure that they wouldn't make a run for it.

The Hood's tone suddenly became angry as the discussion turned to Tessa. "The guards have informed me that she's thinking of pressing charges for the kidnapping that happened close to a year ago. Who does she think she is! I'm her father!" The rage in his voice would have never been mistaken for anything else, but Mimosa's empathic powers were running high. She knew that the Hood was feeling more hurt than angry . . . more so, he wanted revenge.

Mimosa may have wanted her sister, but she'd wanted a father for far longer. "What do you propose we do about it?" she asked.

The Hood calmed down slightly, and after a moment, he let a low laugh echo in his throat. "I have a few ideas . . ."

Mimosa quickly checked the door, which the guard was standing behind, attempting to thwart any plans they might come up with. She leaned forward and lowered her voice. "Exactly what would those be?" she asked in an adventurous tone.

The Hood leaned towards his daughter, a vicious grin spreading across his already wicked appearance. "I don't want them married. I've already made that clear enough, haven't I?"

She nodded. "So the plan is to break them up?" Mimosa guessed.

The Hood thought for a moment. "More or less . . . but in a more . . . _permanent_ sense." He leaned back in his metal chair. "On their wedding day, we will split them up in a rather forceful way. One that guarantees my daughter will never be with that son of Jeff Tracy.

"On the morning of October 12th," he continued in a casual voice, as if he'd played the whole thing out thousands of times in his head, "we will be waiting on the edge of the island. You and I, Mimosa, will slowly head through the jungle and position ourselves. No one will notice - they will be too busy dressing themselves and fixing up food to stuff themselves with after the ceremony. We will watch the wedding, being careful not to give ourselves away," The Hood's grin faded a bit. "Once they finish their 'I do's', we simply shoot Virgil."

Mimosa blinked. She knew her father was slightly insane, but this was a bit extreme for him - as far as she knew. She sat up. "What exactly did he do to deserve such a punishment?"

The Hood wasn't looking at her. His body language seemed to say he was much too important to be bothered. "His father left _me_ for dead and now he thinks he's good enough for my daughter. She won't listen to reason, so we must solve her problems for her."

Mimosa shook her head. She looked up at her father. "What if we miss and hit her?"

The Hood turned to her and smiled. "Our problem will still have been solved." Changing the subject rather quickly, he started talking again. "Now, dear, we need to start work immediately. If we happen to come across her, we can still give her a chance to leave him. If not, well, we've already decided what will happen."

–

Mimosa needed to settle down. It was clear her father didn't care for his eldest daughter - or, rather, his eldest legitimate daughter. After all, who knew how many other children he'd abandoned?

She sat at her computer, drumming her fingers against her chin, thinking it over. The Hood's ideas of revenge were much grander than any normal person's. Mimosa didn't like the idea, but she knew she was going to have to go through with it or risk the same fate.

Her buddy list popped up, showing Gordon to be online. Mimosa smiled. _He's so lucky . . . he doesn't have to deal with The Hood for the rest of his life, _she thought to herself. Clicking on his name, she opened up a conversation with him.

**MuffinTree37:** So . . . did you figure it out yet?

She awaited his reply. She still didn't know how he was going to take it, or how she was going to say it . . . but she wanted him to know.

**HoboJoe214: **Figure out . . . what, exactly?

Mimosa laughed.

**MuffinTree37:** rolleyes You know. The whole "I know who you are" thing.

**HoboJoe214: **Oh! That!

Pause

**MuffinTree37:** )- I'll take that as a 'no'.

**HoboJoe214:** You'd be right if you did. :P

She laughed out loud, but her insides were knotting. She was going to have to say it. _I love you, Gordon . . . ,_ she practised in her head.

**MuffinTree37:** Any guesses?

**HoboJoe214:** Okay! I confess! I'm not who you think I am! I am an international spy who's soul mission is to make sure the world's supply of jelly donuts never dives too low.

**MuffinTree37:** rolleyes That was so funny, I forgot to laugh.

**HoboJoe214: **Could you give me a hint? Even a little one?

Mimosa decided it would be best to just bite the bullet. She typed her response, butterflies in her stomach the whole time.

**MuffinTree37:** How about I just tell you?

**HoboJoe214: **Would you? Please?

**MuffinTree37:** . . . Promise not to crack a joke or dump me?

**HoboJoe214: **Why would I dump you for something I am . . . ?

**MuffinTree37:** Do you _promise?_

**HoboJoe214:** Okay, I promise I will not dump you for whatever it is you are planning on saying next.

**MuffinTree37: **And . . . ?

**HoboJoe214: **And I promise not to make a joke or flip out.

Mimosa paused. She swallowed hard. This was big, and rather sudden, she knew. Praying he wouldn't laugh at her or leave her, she typed:

**MuffinTree37: **Gordon, you're the first guy I've ever really been in love with.

There was a long pause in which he said nothing.

**MuffinTree37: **Well . . . ?

**HoboJoe214: **I . . . don't know what to say.

Her face fell into her hand briefly. She looked up long enough to type a response. She needed out of this conversation. Fast.

**MuffinTree37: **I knew you'd freak out.

With that, she logged off, not willing to read his response. She walked over to the sofa in her suite and sank into it. Her hands around her stomach, she shuddered.

Mimosa knew she shouldn't have brought it up, she just shouldn't have! It was way too soon. They'd only been dating for, what? Like a month, at most. Some people don't say it for like, years. Then again, some people say it and don't mean it. At least she was being honest.

Was that it? Did Gordon Tracy simply not love her back? What was she doing wrong?

They knew too little about each other, that had to be it. She nodded to herself, sitting up slightly. "That has to be it. I mean, he knows hardly anything about me or my dad, and - and, I know barely anything about his family," she stammered, talking to herself, "Maybe we just need to meet up again a few more times. Or something. We can fix it, _we can_."

She tried to convince herself of it. If she kept telling herself it, maybe it would be true.

–

The screen pinged to life.

**HoboJoe214:** Mimosa, I know you're there. Please say something.

Ugh, why had she even come on today? Like she didn't have enough to deal with. Her father had sent her a message asking her back - this being the very next day. When she'd gone, he'd informed her that she was going to have to track down Tessa _and_ Virgil, as both were in the city now. He'd given her an assignment to put into action in two days' time. For some reason she'd thought the pressure she was feeling would subside by coming online. Boy, was she wrong.

**HoboJoe214: **Mim, I swear I'm not angry. And I'm _not_ going to brake up with you. I . . . I really like you.

**MuffinTree37:** But you think this is going too fast?

Her reply was written bitterly. She winced after hitting send, having momentarily forgotten she wasn't going to speak to Gordon today.

**HoboJoe214:** Yes . . . I mean, no. I don't know. I really don't.

It was a relief to her to know that he wasn't sure of anything anymore either.

**MuffinTree37:** I don't either. I really like what we have . . . I guess I made that obvious. What should we do?

**HoboJoe214:** Well . . . I don't know. Maybe we should slow things down.

**MuffinTree37:** Gordon, if you hadn't noticed, we're in an internet relationship. Things can't get much slower.

**HoboJoe214:** I suppose you're right. Maybe we should just let things take their course. Move on.

Mimosa thought, and decided she could live with that. Maybe it wasn't her first choice for the way things would go after she told him how she felt but this was as good as it was going to get. Over-exaggerating her enthusiasm, she gave him a reply. She really just wanted to forget the whole topic for awhile and talk about nothing.

**MuffinTree37:** Okay. : ) Anything new on your end?

–

The very next day, Mimosa had raced to see if Gordon was going to be on. Sure enough, he'd been there, ready to make her forget everything her father was making her do . . . for awhile.

**HoboJoe214: **How are things in London?

**MuffinTree37: **Lonely. pouts I really wish you were here.

She missed Gordon, she truly did. Mimosa couldn't understand why he was always out of the country. Why even bother owning a home if you're never going to live in it?

**HoboJoe214:** I'd love to join you, but I just can't. I'm in Scotland now. Work.

**MuffinTree37:** Yeah, I have to go back to work soon.

**HoboJoe214:** Yeah, but your work is _fun_.

Mimosa knew that . . . but she thought she'd make him feel better for having an ever-so-slightly less cool job by being modest.

**MuffinTree37:** rolleyes Everyone thinks that, but there's actually a lot of stress involved. There's a certain deadline we have to meet for each panel and if the subject isn't perfect in each one, there's hell to pay.

**HoboJoe214:** But you're a _comic book artist!_ Every little kid's _dream_.

**MuffinTree37: **I know.

So much for modesty.

**HoboJoe214: **You get to draw superheroes all day long. And you're living your dream.

Mimosa paused. Something about his words reminded her of a conversation she'd had with her father not too long ago. Her smile faded slightly when she finally typed her response.

**MuffinTree37:** I suppose.

**HoboJoe214:** Is something wrong?

She didn't want to tell Gordon too much - or, rather, she knew she shouldn't. Trying not too give away anything critical, she explained the situation to him.

**MuffinTree37:** I love my job, really I do. But my dad really wants me to leave it so I can be with him more. 'There are comic books in London,' he says. 'I wasn't around much when you were growing up, and I want to make up for it.' I tell him that he's not even English! He was living in the States when my parents met, but somehow he doesn't understand why we should go back there.

**HoboJoe214:** So what are you going to do?

She sighed.

**MuffinTree37:** I don't know. I love the States . . . but I love my dad. And being in London would make me closer to you.

**HoboJoe214: **It wouldn't matter where you were, I'd still care about you. Don't worry about me.

_Isn't he a sweetheart?_ she asked herself. He didn't care if she was one mile away or one thousands miles away. He'd still care about her. Maybe she _could_ sacrifice her dream job for him. Perhaps Gordon even loved her back . . . even if he wasn't ready to say it.

–

Mimosa strode through the mall, her heels clicking as she made her way around yet another corner. If she was her father, she would have known where they were by now. The Hood knew everything, she was quickly learning. She didn't know whether she liked that about him or not. Ironically, she wasn't sure she wanted to make any decisions about him lest he found out.

She'd dressed to impress. She wanted to intimidate them, something she didn't often accomplish with her comical height. Mimosa had decided to wear her black dress and matching clutch purse - not that she intended to buy anything but she wanted to blend in. She wasn't too fancy - it was summer, after all. Some people wore similar outfits in different colours.

Finally, she rounded the right corner. Mimosa stared down the hall at her half-sister. Her father's words echoed through her head. "Act as if it were all natural. Do not give anything away," he'd told her.

She took a few more steps toward the jewellery store. _If she makes a fuss, don't retaliate. Never back down._

Mimosa was drawing closer to Tessa. Virgil was clearly visible now. As soon as Tessa looked up, she would notice Mimosa. The most urgent words her father had spoken were now ringing through her head. _Watch her hands at all times. Try not to be too obvious, but don't let your attention draw away from them for too long. If she balls a fist, be prepared to get away quick. It's unlikely she'd use her power in the middle of the mall, but you never know what she'll do when provoked . . . _

Tessa's eyes looked up at her then. Mimosa wanted to stop and turn around, but she forced herself on, trying to even her breathing. Putting on the most cruel face she could muster, she approached the couple. She stood in front of them. Giving them a sickening sweet smile, she broke the ice, "Hello, Tessa."

Turning, she sent a cascade of her black wavy hair behind her shoulder flirtatiously. She looked the man beside her sister up and down. She decided he was actually pretty hot. (_What could Dad possibly have against that? _she wondered.) "And you must be Virgil," she added in an ever-so-slightly more genuine tone.

It was clear to Mimosa that Virgil didn't give a rat's ass about her. "You must be Mimosa," he threw back at her in a sarcastic version of her tone.

She gave him a gorgeously sarcastic grin at his words. _Whatever, I have work to do_, she told herself. Turning back to her sister, she continued with the plan her father hand laid out for her, "Daddy and I were wondering when you were going to give up this little scheme to get back at him, and come join us again." The sweetness had started to leave her tone.

Tess actually laughed at Mimosa. Mimosa knew this would probably happen, so she was prepared for the words her sister threw back. "Well, you're rather blunt. But you're also terribly wrong. This isn't a 'scheme' to get back at your father or you. And I am _not_ going to become involved in any sort of charade that involves The Hood. And what's this 'again' thing all about? As I recall, I only met you little over a month ago and it didn't go so well."

Mimosa knew she was genuinely mad at their father - or 'her father', as Tessa had put it. Braving a glance at Tessa's hand, her father's words began to go through her head again. _It's possible she may not even have inherited the power. It's also possible she doesn't know about it - but don't take that chance_.

Looking her sister right in the eye, Mimosa gave the speech her father had told her to give, bluffing the braveness in her tone. She herself didn't believe that the words actually came out. It would amaze Mimosa if Virgil actually believed them. At best, they might shake him up a bit. "Come on, Tessa. We both know you've just been spying on the Tracys. First you're 'shipwrecked' on their island. Next, you start dating Virgil - just as your father heads off to jail. No doubt you only did that to reassure Jeff and the rest that you were with them. Poor Virgil - you even accepted his proposal!" Mimosa gave a little laugh. "Just admit you don't love Virgil Tracy and you've been playing him all along. Then things can go back to the way they once were." She smiled awaiting her sister's response, silently praying this conversation wasn't going to end with her dead.

Mimosa's eyes darted almost involuntarily towards her sister's hand. _She can throw fire, _her father had said, _or at least her mother could._

And now her sister's hand was balling into a fist. Tessa was threatening her and it was working. "Take that back," Tessa Highlander insisted, rage burning through her and hitting Mimosa's empathic senses. Somehow, she knew her sister didn't want to do it though.

Her eyes darted back to her sister's hand one last time. She straightened up. Trying to act brave (though somehow knowing she was failing miserably), Mimosa looked at Tessa darkly and asked, "You have a problem with the truth?"

Tessa shook her head and sighed in annoyance. Starting to raise her fist, Tessa continued: "Truth, I have no problem with, but the crap you're giving out? Yeah, I have a problem with that."

Much to the relief of Mimosa, she relaxed her hand, and used it to grab her fiancé's arm. "Let's go, Virgil."

They were turning to leave. As they started to make their way down the hall, Mimosa knew she had to give one final blow for the day. "Think about it," she called after them. Tessa threw her a glare, which Mimosa returned with a smirk.

Having finished her duty, Mimosa intended to turn back around and leave the way she came. Once she was in a position that wasn't facing Virgil or Tessa, she visibly sighed with relief of it being over. She began to walk down the hall again.

Fate is sometimes a wonderful thing - it can lead you to the most extraordinary things. Karma is also great . . . but right now both were working against Mimosa.

Bits and pieces of Virgil and Tess's conversation were making their way up the hall to where she was walking. "Are you okay?" Virgil's soothing voice asked.

Mimosa had no intention of eavesdropping on her sister and future-brother-in-law. But she couldn't help overhearing Tessa's gut-wrenching words. "Why Gordon would ever like her is beyond me . . ."

Mimosa stopped dead in the middle of the hall and turned back, staring at the bench they were on. _How do they know about Gordon!_ she asked herself frantically.

It took her a minute to realize it, but then it dawned on her: _What was Virgil's last name . . . ?_ she asked herself.

Mimosa's eyes widened. Her breathing stopped. She collapsed on the next bench she found. Her eyes searched the floor as if it would give her answers. _Tracy._ Gordon was a Tracy. Not just _a_ Tracy, one of _the_ Tracys. "This can't be happening!" she pleaded.

Her face fell into her hands and she felt as if she would start to sob - in the middle of the mall. She knew people would stare, but she didn't care. Tears began to stream down her face gently. Things were going so well . . . he was so perfect. Sweet, understanding and fun to be with - that was Gordon in a nutshell. They shared interests and hatreds . . . he'd opened her eyes to new things and she'd done the same for him. She smiled through her tears as an image of his face appeared in her head. Everything she wanted . . . and he was in the one group of people she couldn't be with.

With real bravery this time, she wiped her tears on the back of her hand and sat up on the bench. Telling herself she had to move, she got up and strode more quickly than before through the mall. When she got back to her room, she knew what she was going to do: sob uncontrollably and then break her own heart.

–

Mimosa sat at the screen, staring for what felt like hours. Tear stains still were visible on her face. She was wearing a long sweater and some jeans. Her hair was unkempt. Her make-up had long-since washed off. Her eyes were red-rimmed. Mimosa was the definition of a mess.

**HoboJoe214:** Hey, baby.

**MuffinTree37:** Oh . . . hey. I didn't see you on.

She lied . . . she just couldn't bring herself to do this - that was why she hadn't clicked on his name.

**HoboJoe214:** That's okay. How are you?

She sniffed back tears and tried to be brave. That was the beauty of instant massaging though - you couldn't tell what the person on the other end was feeling unless they told you.

**MuffinTree37:** Let's cut the small-talk.

**HoboJoe214:** Uh, okay. Is something the matter?

**MuffinTree37:** Look, Gordon, we knew this couldn't go on forever like this, right?

Mimosa's heart was breaking. But she had to do this - for the both of them. Part of her wanted his heart to break too, just so she'd know that he'd actually felt something for her. The other part couldn't bare the thought of him in pain.

**HoboJoe214: **What? Well, I guess . . .

**MuffinTree37:** I mean, even if you did love me back, how would this work out? You're _always_ on some mission 'for the Queen'. Even if I happen to travel across the ocean, you can't find the time to see me.

_No wonder_, she said to herself, _you don't even live in England. _

**HoboJoe214:** Be fair, now. I had no idea you were coming and couldn't plan for it!

**MuffinTree37:** Oh, come on, you could have at least mentioned 'Hey, I'm going to Scotland!' in one of your messages!

She was curious to see his answer, even though she knew it would be a lie. He couldn't outright tell her the truth could he? If he could, after all, this would have happened awhile ago.

**HoboJoe214: **I thought it wouldn't matter! You're in the _States_ for crying out loud! It's not like you're going to walk over to my house one day for tea and find I'm not home and call the police!

This was the part that was going to hurt the both of them the most. But she knew it had to be done. She also now knew he had only been postponing it himself.

**MuffinTree37:** Don't you get it? This isn't working! Our relationship is based on instant messaging, but we don't communicate! And, Gordon, I can't live off of IMs. Even if you were to tell me you loved me back, where would we live? With my messed-up family in London, where your job is? Where my messed-up life in the States is?

There was a long, painful pause.

**HoboJoe214:** Please tell me you aren't saying what I think you are. Tell me I'm not losing you. I . . . I do love you.

**MuffinTree37:** I'm sorry, it's too late. Gordon, it's over. Let it go.

That was going to be hard for the both of them, she knew.

**HoboJoe214:** Please, don't -

Tears rolled down her eyes again as she hit the sign-out button. She closed her laptop. Making her way over to the bed in her hotel room, she collapsed and did what she deserved to do.

She cried all night.


	7. Til Death

1**Chapter Seven: Until Death**

_The morning of October 17__th_

A ray of morning sun shone through the glass window, spilling unto the bed in which Tessa slept. Her eyes fluttered open. She put a hand up to her face, wiping away a stray lock of hair. She smiled to herself and sat up. Tessa couldn't help but grin. "It's today . . . ," she mused aloud. In her eyes, this would be the happiest day of her life.

She got up from her bed, eager to start the day. At 2:30, she would be heading down the steps outside, from the tent the boys were supposed to have set up yesterday, towards her fiancé. Tessa frowned, feeling kind of down now. She wasn't allowed to see Virgil all day, as part of tradition.

Glancing over at the clock, she quickly calculated how long that would be. _Eight hours? _Tessa groaned. Oh, well. They'd get to spend two weeks straight afterwards for their honeymoon on Thunderbird 5.

_Guess I better go find Penny so we can eat, _she thought. This was going to be a long day.

—

The sun hit Scott's eyes and he winced. Shaking his head and blinking, he sat up. He wiped his hand down the side of his face, remembering that stupid tent they were supposed to set up. "Crap," he muttered to himself. He couldn't help it - the rehearsal dinner had gone smoothly, but Virgil still hadn't had a bachelor party. So . . . they'd sort of blown-off tent-building for an impromptu volleyball game.

Lana blinked at the sound of his voice. She turned towards him and smiled. Stroking his arm gently she asked in a calm voice, "What's the matter, hun?"

He turned his head towards her and threw her a grin. Bending down, he kissed her tenderly on the lips. Raising his face just a few inches from hers, he smiled and whispered, "Don't worry about it. You go back to sleep."

She grinned playfully, wrapping her arms around his neck so he couldn't go. "Not unless you come with me."

He grinned back. He slid a hand onto her expanding stomach and kissed her lightly again. "I would love to, but I have to go. You stay here and _rest _like you're _supposed to do_." He lifted his hand and pulled her arms off of him.

Lana glared at him, the smile still plastered on her face, as he fumbled for a shirt and pants to wear until he changed into his tux. "You are not the boss of me, Mr. Tracy."

Scott threw her a look while he pulled on his 'I Saw The World's Biggest Hoe' tee that Lana had given him after her last trip to Saskatchewan. "No, but the _doctor_ is. You know that, _Mrs. _Tracy."

Lana sighed, falling back into her pillow. "Being pregnant bites the big one. Although, I must admit the amount of food your brothers leave me at dinner has gotten a _lot_ better."

Scott chuckled. Giving her one last quick kiss, he bid her good-bye. "I have to go now and set up the tent like we were supposed to do last night instead of playing volleyball."

Lana looked shocked. "Why didn't you say that? Go! Go before Jeff or Tessa or Penny kills you!"

Scott laughed and walked out of the room.

—

Virgil jumped in his sleep. _What is that noise?_ he thought to himself, sitting up and blinking. It sounded like someone was pitching a tent outside his window . . .

. . . _wait, what day is this?_

He looked at his calendar. Smiling broadly, he whispered, "It's today . . ."

He threw the covers off of himself. Scott must be putting up the tent they forgot about the night before. Virgil decided it would be a good idea to help him out . . . and distract himself until the ceremony started.

—

"How much farther?" Mimosa yelled at her father, who had burdened her with equipment more than himself.

They were hiking through the seemingly endless jungle of Tracy Island, where they had spent the night. They had arrived late into the evening by a small submarine and set up a tent. Now it was the morning of the wedding and time to begin setting up their equipment.

Her father turned around while still walking. A vicious look was on his face. "Oh, shut up! It's not that far - and we needed to be far away enough from the house that they wouldn't spot us! You knew what you were getting into when you decided to join me on this." He turned back.

Not technically true, Mimosa thought to herself as they trudged onward. But The Hood had been snapping at her for no reason. He didn't know - or, at least she hadn't told him - that she could sense others' feelings, or else he might have hidden his better. He seemed to have steeled himself from any emotion, but some kept slipping through. Odd ones too.

She was beginning to see a bit of beach through the trees, suggesting they would stop soon. Like her father had said before - they didn't want to be discovered. Sure enough, The Hood stopped short and held out his hand, prompting her to do the same. "This will do. We have a clear area to see around ourselves, but it's not so clear that they will notice us."

Mimosa sighed with relief and dropped the bags on the ground. The Hood was watching as two boys struggled to set up a tent. Mimosa couldn't make out the people, but she thought one had to be Gordon . . . or maybe Virgil. Definitely Virgil.

She bent over and began to unpack the equipment they'd need. She watched her father. His eyes flickered with a foreign emotion for a brief second. Mimosa was beginning to wonder what her father's real plan was.

—

Penny laughed as she chewed on a croissant for breakfast. She was staring at the bride-to-be from across the table. Tess was excited but her nerves were also very high. This was her wedding day, after all - and what if her father showed up? She sat at the table quietly, sipping orange juice and occasionally taking a bite of her pastry.

Tin-Tin was telling jokes, lightening up Tessa's mood slightly. "So he turns to the waiter and says, 'Secret: Strong enough for a man - but made for a woman.'"

The orange juice suddenly streaked out of Tessa's nose as she laughed hysterically. She couldn't help herself and was doubled-over. In a very un-lady-like gesture, Penny fell out of her chair from watching. Tin-Tin, being the only sensible one at this point, managed to grab a napkin and hand it to Tessa.

So much for nerves.

Penny struggled to her seat. In a breathy voice she stated, "Well, I suppose we should go get out and get set up in the tent. You go shower. We need to do our hair before lunch."

It was then that Tin-Tin turned around to see Scott heading towards the door - with Virgil right behind him. Tin-Tin rushed to the door, while Penny guided Tessa to the kitchen where she couldn't be seen.

Smiling at Scott, Tin-Tin decided to make small talk while Tessa headed off to the bathroom. "Hey, Scott - did you get the tent up yet?"

Scott turned around to stare at the large, obvious white mass of fabric behind himself. "Uh, yeah," he responded sarcastically.

Tin-Tin looked over his shoulder, blocking Virgil's view. "Well, would you look at that. Looks good, boys. Of course, it would have looked even better if you'd have put it up on time." She gave them a teasing smile.

Virgil shook his head. "It's up isn't it?"

Tin-Tin turned around. Tessa was no longer visible, so she stepped aside. "Enjoy your breakfast boys." Throwing them a smile over her shoulder, she headed to Penny's room, where all their supplies were kept.

The boys looked at each other, shrugged and decided breakfast was more important than figuring out women.

–

Tessa was happily washing herself in the shower. She was nervous, of course, but this was the best day of her life. In a matter of hours, she'd be married to Virgil, no matter what her father wanted . . .

Her father. Tessa stopped scrubbing her hair for a moment. The world was silent except for the sound of the water rushing out of the showerhead and onto the floor. Tessa had gone two whole days without thinking about her dad. It had been a week, give or take a few days, since she'd had that awful nightmare.

_I wonder what Dad will be doing today . . . , _she thought to herself, resuming washing her hair. _Maybe he's finally happy for me . . . or maybe not._

She'd heard that he'd been released early for good behaviour or giving information or something like that. She hadn't really cared what the letter she received had said (Tess knew he'd likely just bribed a judge or something anyway). The fact was, he was out.

Brains was on high alert though. He made sure to check the beach, monitor the island, all of that. He hadn't seen anything.

Tessa turned off the water. She was trying not to dwell on all of these things that would likely never happen. She needed to focus on what was going to happen.

It was then she felt familiar little feet crawling up her back.

She groaned. Tessa angrily stepped out of the shower, wrapped herself in a housecoat and pulled the stupid pigmy alligator off of her back.

"Alan!" she screamed. "GET YOUR STUPID LIZARD BACK IN ITS CAGE!"

—

Gordon looked up from where he'd been strumming his guitar on his bed. _Stupid lizard_.

He sighed, and set the guitar back down on his bed. He went to his laptop, where he'd stored all of his files. He'd read the IMs and emails over and over, and still didn't know where he went wrong.

_Don't you get it? This isn't working! Our relationship is based on instant messaging, but we don't communicate!_

He didn't understand. First, she'd told him that she loved him. Then she'd turned right around and broken his heart. He hadn't lied in his response - he really thought he loved her. He knew that he was going to have to give her up anyway, so he couldn't respond when she'd done it for him.

Couldn't . . . but tried.

He'd started so many letters. He'd even tried to send one to make amends. But it had been returned. Her email address had been deleted. Her mailing address came up fake. She never signed on to the instant messenger service anymore - she'd likely deleted that account too.

Gordon had a dark secret. He was in love with Mimosa. The fact that she had left him out of no where and with no real reason tortured him. She was no where to be found, and it was no use looking. Mimosa was under the control of The Hood, and he knew The Hood wouldn't reveal her.

Gordon folded the laptop. He turned around and picked up the guitar. He began strumming some emo to make himself feel 'better'.

–

John stood by his father's side as the plane from the mainland touched down on the runway of Tracy Island. He could barely contain his overwhelming grin.

Okay, so John knew he should probably go change or report to the bridesmaid's tent or something, but he couldn't help it. He knew Shauna was on that plane. His Shauna. They'd been seeing each other since they met. Though, 'seeing' was really no way to describe it. Between his being up in space and her being in England, they'd barely been able to keep the relationship going. But now she was here.

The first person off of the plane was the minister. Followed by Brains, who'd been flying. But then she stepped out. Brains took her hand and helped her unto the runway. As soon as her feet hit the asphalt, she took off in John's direction. He wrapped her in his arms.

"I missed you," he whispered in her ear. He pulled back so he could kiss her.

"Me too," she replied as soon as she pulled away.

Finally, John had someone of his own.

–

Mimosa sat watching from her post. She had a thermos of coffee, which she sipped at regular intervals. As she viewed the activities surrounding the beach right before the ceremony, she thought over what she was about to do.

She glanced at her father, who sat behind her, deep in thought. All her life, growing up, all she'd ever wanted was a daddy. Someone to hug her when she was sad. Someone to support her when she'd gotten into college. Someone to pat her on the back when she'd received her first big break as a comic book illustrator. But he'd never been there. There was just her mom. At the high points in their relationship, there was always a distance between them Towards the end of high school, her mother had tried to understand her, but only then.

Now Mimosa had what she'd always wanted - a father. Sure, he wasn't exactly the type of dad who would bounce her on his knee. And sure, he probably wouldn't say the right things at the right times. But he was what she had.

He was untrusting, however. It was understandable, but frustrating. He'd filled Mimosa in on how his first wife had abandoned him the second she'd thought he was dead. His own daughter had dropped him when she'd met Mimosa. Jeff Tracy, now his arch rival, had left him for dead. This would be her way of showing her loyalty to him.

She took a large gulp of her coffee. The wedding was about to start. Time to get into position.

–

Tessa stared at herself in the mirror. There were a million thoughts running through her head. Her make-up was finished. Her hair was swept up in a neat-yet-messy up-do, with a pink Hawaiian flower holding it together. Her self-designed dress hugged her in all the right places. The off-the shoulder approach complimented her. Penny and Tin-Tin were outside, ready whenever she was.

A tear slipped from her eye, and she wiped it away with her manicured finger nail. She loved Virgil, more than anything. She wanted to marry him. But something inside her couldn't help but wish her father was there to see it. To walk her down the 'aisle.' He was a homicidal maniac, but a girl needs a father.

It was then that John stuck his head through the door of the tent. "Tessa? Are you ready?"

She turned at his voice and smiled. "I'm ready to go." She picked up her small bouquet, and pulled up her skirt, revealing a pair of flat, jewelled sandals purchased in India.

"Wow," he smiled at her, pausing to admire her for a moment before taking her right arm. "Tess, you are so beautiful. Virgil is very lucky."

She smiled, and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you. It means a lot to me." Together, they stepped out the tent, and watched as Penny and Tin-Tin walked down the pathway to the site of the beach. Penny threw Tessa a smile as she began her walk.

Tessa breathed deeply. _This is it_. The only music to guide her was the sound of the waves crashing against the beach. Her bright lips smiled at John, who was going to escort her down the beach. A part of her wished her father was going to see her, yet she had a strange feeling in the bottom of her stomach that he would. She began to feel scared. Truly scared.

As Penny reached the appropriate distance, John began to step out. "This is it," he said, beaming.

She began to step forward, then stopped, appearing to trip over a rock as her bouquet fell to the ground. She clenched her left fist, opened her palm again carefully, and laughed. "I tripped."

She let go of John's arm, and coughed into her hand as she picked her flowers back up. As she took his arm again, John looked at her, smiling. "Ready?"

–

"Are you ready, Mimosa?" The Hood asked his younger daughter, "This is it."

She turned around and gave him a thumbs-up, paired with a sarcastic grin. She was deep in concentration, as she aimed the large rifle (equipped with a silencer for added effect) towards the front of the procession.

Her thoughts were racing. This was what her father told her to do. This is what she had to do to prove her loyalty.

But she knew what she'd just seen. Tessa knew they were there. She'd just given Mimosa fair warning - Tessa wasn't going down without a fight.

–

Tessa strolled down the steps and unto the beach, John holding onto her arm.

_Oh, God_, she thought, _what am I going to do?_

She loved Virgil, more than anything. He wanted to marry her. She wanted to marry him. But was she willing to do so, knowing her father could be hiding somewhere on this island? Sure, Brains had swept the island over and over for the past week and a half, but this was _The Hood_. Anything was possible.

Her delicate sandals touched the beach, and a light breeze swept through her hair. She looked up and saw, just yards away, Virgil. There he stood, completely enchanted. He couldn't take his eyes off of his bride-to-be. He was so close to marrying her, he was willing to do anything. He loved her, and she knew it.

As John let go of her, and passed her on to his younger brother, Tessa gazed into her fiancé's eyes. Virgil's grin was so beautiful, she couldn't think of words to describe it. He leaned towards her and whispered in her ear softly, "I love you, Tessa."

It was then, she knew what she was going to do.

–

Mimosa watched as Virgil took her hand. Her weapon was equipped with a telescope, giving her a close-up view on what was happening. She could take either of them out in an instant. Her instructions were to wait, though. The Hood was all about effect. He wanted to get his point across loud and clear: no daughter of his was going to be associated with a Tracy.

If The Hood ever found out about Gordon, he would be devastated. Two of his daughters, falling for the sons of his rival? He was so quick to want to harm his oldest child for marrying one, what would he do if he found out Mimosa had dated one as well?

The thing about it was, Mimosa wasn't sure what her father wanted. She could feel his emotions. They raced through her. They were so varied. He was angry, he was excited, he was ...

. . . _no_. _No, it couldn't be . . . The Hood would never . . ._ Mimosa's train of thought fizzled out. She was beginning to put two and two together, and she knew no matter what, it wouldn't end well for anyone. How was she to deal with this? She had to go through with the plan, no matter what.

Or should she? There really was no telling which would prove to hold the worse consequences for her. And considering that Tessa might have another power, either could end up really bad.

_Oh, dear . . ._

–

"Friends and family," the preacher began, smiling upon the couple, "we are gathered here today to witness the union of Theresa-Anne Highlander and Virgil Grissom Tracy in holy matrimony . . ."

Tessa gripped Virgil's hand tighter as the minister began to speak. "He's here," she whispered in his ear.

Virgil's smile waned briefly. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes."

The minister closed his Bible and turned to Scott. "The rings, please?"

Scott presented Tessa and Virgil with the rings Jeff had given them. Tessa took the one she was supposed to give Virgil, and Virgil the one he was to give Tess. Virgil took Tess's hand and held the ring in front of her finger. Tess's eyes begged him to act natural.

"Virgil, you may now recite your vows," the minister said.

"My darling Theresa," Virgil began, giving the signal, but smiling still. "I have loved you since you found your way to this island from the wreckage of a cruise ship. Through the ups and downs of our relationship, I have never given up hope that this day might come. I promise to cherish you and care for you as long as we both shall live. Wear this ring as a symbol of my love, and know I will _always_ love you." He placed his mother's ring on her finger.

Tess knew that the brothers were panicking. They knew that if Virgil called her 'Theresa', there was trouble.

"Tessa, you may now recite the vows you have written for Virgil," the minister added.

She smiled, holding out Jeff's ring before Virgil's finger. "Virgil," Tess began, smiling, "From the moment I met you, I knew we shared something unique. At first, I did not know what was happening, and I'm sorry that I pushed you away. But after I got over myself, I realized that I truly loved you, more than anything in this world. Wear this ring, and know that I will always care for you, come what may." She slipped the ring around his finger.

They faced the minister again. "Virgil Grissom Tracy, do you take this woman as your lawfully wedded wife - to love and to care for, for better or for worse, for richer and for poorer, until death do you part?"

Virgil responded firmly, "I do."

The minister turned to Tess. "Theresa-Anne Highlander, do you take this man as your lawfully wedded husband - to love and to care for, for better or for worse, for richer and for poorer, until death do you part?"

She smiled. Very firmly, she responded, "I do."

–

This was it. Mimosa knew that was her cue to get into position. In a matter of seconds, her sister would regret those two words, and her father would be proud.

–

"It is my pleasure," the minister grinned, having no idea what was going on, "to now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Time began to move oddly at that very instant. First it moved extremely slow, but at the same time, almost too fast to keep up.

Virgil wrapped his arms around Tess and kissed her passionately. She kissed him back, but did not let her guard down. She placed her hand on his shoulder, hoping she was about to save the right person.

Her dream came true at that second.

The shot rang, despite the silencer, and Tess hurdled Virgil out of the way of the bullet, which ricocheted off of a boulder behind them. In the blink of an eye, she turned in the direction of the forest. Balling her fist, it took her only an instant to throw a ball of fire large enough to set the part of the jungle concealing her father ablaze.

She could hear her father screaming at her half-sister that she was an idiot, and a terrible shot. She could see her brothers-in-law and father-in-law running towards the jungle, where her father was. She could see Brains grabbing the fire extinguisher from its holder by the pool. She saw the panic in the faces of Shauna and the minister.

What she didn't see was her husband getting up.

Or the second bullet hurtling towards them.

Her nightmare was coming true - she knew as she saw the blood dripping on the sand at her feet.

Virgil gripped her around the waist, panic on his face. He was scared to death. His face was pale. He didn't know what was going to happen, but he knew there were no good outcomes. "Tessa? Tessa?!" he screamed.

She collapsed in his arms.

–

Jeff Tracy ran towards the jungle, knowing The Hood and his daughter were hiding back there. Without a single thought to the fire blazing, he ran towards them. As soon as The Hood was in sight, he hastened his pursuit. Pulling his rival from behind the gun, he punched the man square across the jaw.

The Hood collapsed to the ground momentarily. Within seconds, the four Tracy brothers arrived, ready to take their fathers place. Scott leaned forward, trying to pick The Hood up off of the ground. The Hood was too fast - with a flash across his eyes, Scott's head began to pound, forcing him to collapse to the ground.

Everything moved fast. Tin-Tin appeared out of no where, her own telekinetic powers matching The Hood's. Her power wasn't near as strong, but it held out long enough to free Scott, allowing the brothers to gain the advantage.

"Unhand me! You can't control me!" The Hood screamed as four Tracy men grabbed him, holding him back.

Jeff sneered at him, as they pulled him out of the charred jungle. "What is your problem?! Could you possibly leave us alone for one major event? Just _one_?!"

Gordon had taken hold of Mimosa. He was torn at the moment from what had just occurred, and he had no idea how to react. Mustering all the strength he could, he faced her, anger on his face. "I guess your plan to kill my brother and ruin your sister's wedding failed, didn't it?"

She shook her head at him, and nodded towards the beach where the ceremony had taken place. "Not really," she said, a sadistic grin on her face.

Gordon turned his head, and almost dropped his grip on Mimosa. "Dad!" he screamed.

–

"Tessa! _Tessa!_" Virgil pleaded, holding her as he kneeled on the beach. "Baby, please wake up. Please."

Jeff darted from The Hood to where his middle son was, ordering the others to lock the Hood up in the cellar as planned.

Penny and Tin-Tin's mother were already there, trying to help Tessa. Ohana had some rags, and was pressing them to her shoulder. There was blood everywhere. Virgil gripped her hand, begging her to wake up.

Penny was talking to Parker rapidly. "You _have_ to get her to the hospital! The bullet seems to have missed vital organs, but she could still bleed to death!" She was in tears.

Parker was trying to calm her down. "I can't! If I show up at the hospital in London in a flying car, they'll know we're the Thunderbirds."

Penny knew she was trapped. Parker was right. She fell into his arms crying. "I don't know how we can get her there fast enough without anyone knowing."

Jeff looked over at her. "So let's tell them."

–

Mimosa watched her father, pacing back and forth in the cell as if he were an anxious tiger in a cage. They had been locked in for hours it seemed. The brothers had proceeded to take them downstairs, locking them up and leaving them under the watchful eyes of Brains and Kyrano. The two men monitored them carefully, not allowing one to take their eyes off of their captives without the other taking over.

They'd left the beach as Jeff had reached Tess. They'd no idea as to the plans the men had to save her . . . and they themselves seemed to have no plans for escape.

Mimosa sat in the corner, not saying a word. She knew her father was trying to come up with a plan, and it was only a matter of moments before he would succeed. They'd be free, and ready to plan their next escapade.

Not that she'd definitely be included. Things hadn't gone The Hood's way today, leading him to believe that Mimosa had failed. In all honesty, was it her fault that Tess was smarter than they'd calculated? Was it her fault Tess had known which of them The Hood had planned on shooting?

Although, then again . . .

Mimosa couldn't help but revisit what had just happened over and over. She'd aimed the gun at Virgil. She'd pulled the trigger as soon as they kissed. Then Tessa had pushed him out of the way a split second before the wound would have been fatal. Her father had yelled and screamed at her. The next thing she knew, she was falling down the hill, having been thrust aside so her father could do the job himself.

But he'd shot the wrong person.

The plan had always been to shoot Virgil. Always. The Hood was all about maximum effect - he wanted his daughter to see the man she 'loved' wither and die before her like the weak being he was. He wanted her to understand what she was giving up was serious.

He wanted revenge.

The rest had been a blur. An emotional blur. All of the emotions that the brothers carried had almost overwhelmed Mimosa when they came running. Rage, fear, shock . . .

. . . regret?

It was true. She realized it now, as The Hood paced back and forth impatiently - not for a plan to escape, but for news of Tessa.

She'd been confused at first as to what it was he was feeling. Why would he feel remorse and doubt? It had been his plan.

Mimosa was still trying to understand the fleeting emotions of worry and regret that he was giving away. He hadn't meant to shoot Tessa in the shoulder - he had been aiming for Virgil, and missed. The flames Tessa had flown had obscured his view. Now he worried how his eldest daughter was fairing.

And it was his fault Tessa was ailing.

–

The world was a dark, black place. Tessa had no idea where she was. So many sounds, voices. She wanted to escape this blackness, but it was far easier said than done.

Slowly, she blinked her eyes open. Trying to regain her focus, she looked around the room. This wasn't her home. This was not her room at Tracy island. It was white. There were some flowers in the corner, a small TV hung from the ceiling, and a coat rack with a gown hanging from a hook sat in the corner by the door. She was laying in uncomfortable, thin blue polyester sheets. The annoying clicks and beeps from the hallway outside of the door filled the air, and the room was bombarded with the disgusting scent of too much Lysol.

Tessa didn't like not knowing where she was. She tried to sit up, but all she ended-up doing was screeching in agony. She turned to the source, finding that her arm was strapped to her opposite side, in an effort to stop her from moving her wounded shoulder.

Virgil was at her side instantly. "Tess!" He grabbed her hand, and sat by the bed. He was still in his tux, the bow tie undone, and the jacket unbuttoned. "Oh, angel, I was so worried. How are you?" He kissed her hand, holding it tight.

Tess turned to him and smiled. "Oh, Virgil," she said through tears. She pulled her hand free and used it to raise his chin. She kissed him passionately, wrapping her good arm around his neck. He slipped his hands around her waist, pulling her closer. The two were happy to have survived their wedding. After hours of worry, they were finally together. She broke away, tears streaming her face. "He did it. Virgil . . . Virgil, he shot me. My own _father_ shot me." She was sobbing.

He began to wipe away her tears. "I know . . . I know. I'm so sorry I couldn't get there in time." He looked her in the eyes.

She smiled. "Then you'd be in my place, likely worse. And I couldn't handle that."

He smiled and kissed her softly. They were silent for a long time. Virgil let out a small laugh after awhile. "I guess this means we won't be taking our honeymoon anytime soon."

She smiled. "I'd have to agree with you there."

He took her hand. "We'll get to go up in space. As soon as you're better."

She smiled weakly at him, hurt in her eyes. She looked across the room, where a mirror was hanging on the wall. Her red hair was mussed, and had long-since been taken out of its up-do. Her makeup was gone, her eyes red. Her wedding dress was hanging in the corner, having been replaced by a hospital gown. Even from the bed, she could tell the dress would need serious cleaning, it was so bloody. She didn't even know if that would make her dream dress okay again.

A tear fell from her cheek. "How much better could I possibly get? I've lost what crappy remnants of a family I had. My father just shot me, and the only reason my crazy half-sister didn't was because she can't aim. The only family I have is you. You're the only one who cares." She smiled, but it was bittersweet.

He smiled at her, and placed a hand on her cheek. "Baby, you have no idea how many people love you."

She looked confused. "You're the only one who bothered to take me to the hospital. I heard Penny and Parker before I passed out."

He dropped her hand, and walked over to the TV, bursting with happiness and pride that Tessa didn't understand. He turned it onto a news channel.

There was a reporter standing in front of a sign reading "London General Hospital". He was holding a microphone, and staring at the camera intently. "The media has been in a frenzy for hours around this hospital, but are only now being allowed access inside. Just a little while ago, a frantic call came into London General, asking security to be on high alert. Moments later, Thunderbird One showed up, carrying a shooting victim on board. The victim is reported to have been a young female in her early twenties, apparently shot in the middle of her own wedding!

"It is a rarity," the reporter continued, "for the Thunderbirds to carry a victim into the hospital, on top of the request for added security. So rare, in fact, that people have begun to speculate that perhaps this case has hit a little closer to home than others they have dealt with. Is this woman affiliated with the Thunderbirds? Channel three will stay on the case to find out. Now back to the studio."

Virgil turned off the TV, and back to Tessa. "The reason no one is in the room is that they're all in the hall, fighting back reporters so that you can be alone."

Tessa stared at Virgil for a long time. A smile began to form. They'd flown her in the Thunderbird. They knew there would be press, but they didn't care. They loved her. All of them.

–

The Hood had stood still for a long time now. Mimosa watched him. Besides wondering how her sister was - if she was dead - he was her only source of entertainment. Without it, she would have gone mad in this cell - which she deduced must have been used for testing or storage or something before they got there. (Who has a cell in their basement?)

He was in concentration. His thoughts of Tess had taken a backseat to something else, she deducted. He was realizing something, and it was motivating him.

Kyrano and Brains had been watching them silently for hours. For _hours_ on end, not a single word had been spoken. For _hours_ the only thing to break the silence had been the tapping of The Hood's feet against the cold cement. Now that the pacing had stopped, she was left without entertainment.

But she knew that the end of the pacing signalled the beginning of escape.

Kyrano and Brains wouldn't know what hit them.

–

Jeff strolled into his office, alone, and tossed his jacket towards the leather couch. He wandered towards the corner where he'd set up a bar.

Jeff had renovated the living room. It now encompassed a large, brilliant mahogany desk that held all the controls and monitored the entire island. The old sofas had all been replaced with smart black leather ones. The carpet had been pulled up and replaced with all hardwood. The portraits of the boys had been redone, adding Tessa and Lana in. They were all still set on "operation cover-up" mode.

Jeff turned around, sipping his scotch as he wandered towards the portraits. Tess was so beautiful in hers. She sat in a butterfly chair, a white boa falling off of the edge. She was wearing a smart black dress, red hair fanned against her shoulders. Her legs were crossed, and her bare feet were explained by a pair of heels on the floor. She was gorgeous. She was his newest daughter.

He couldn't believe what The Hood had done to her. Tessa was a sweet girl. His daughter. He claimed to love her, or at least acted so when convenient for him. But what did he have to gain by shooting her? Virgil, Jeff could understand, but not Tessa. There had to be more to it.

He took another swig of his drink as he sat behind his desk. It was larger, smarter, and contained far more controls that were easily hidden during 'operation cover-up'.

Sure, there had been many technological changes, but there had been several emotional ones. Gone were the score of pictures of the boys when they were younger playing with their mother. Gone were the endless amount of pictures with Lucy in them. Only one was left standing - that of Lucy on their first date. Her hair was done up in soft waves, and she wore an evening gown. The rest had been replaced. Now there sat Scott on his wedding day . . . Virgil and Tessa after he'd proposed . . . John and Shauna the first time she'd visited the island . . . Tin-Tin and Alan, dancing at a party . . . Gordon strumming a guitar . . . and Penny.

The feelings he had for Penny were confusing. He cared about her deeply, but had never wanted to reveal this to his children. Even though their mother had died so long ago that Alan scarcely even recalled knowing her, he wasn't sure if they could accept him 'moving on'.

Perhaps though, it was time.

He continued sipping his drink, and he entered the pass code - his hand print - to open up all of the monitors and security cameras to view. He needed to check up on The Hood.

But what he saw was not what he wanted. He cursed, dropped his drink on the desk, grabbed his jacket, and rushed towards the basement.

–

Mimosa sat on the escape boat, watching Tracy Island get smaller and smaller in the distance. The Hood had insisted on driving - and she knew it had only been because she'd messed up shooting Virgil. Normally, he would never stoop to such low levels as actually doing work, like motoring a boat.

_Jeff will be discovering our escape soon_, she thought to herself. She knew how it would go: he'd look on one of his monitors and see Brains and Kyrano laying helpless on the floor. He'd rush down the stairs, sounding the alarm (to no avail). He'd look around, trying to discern what had occurred, but would not be able to believe it until he reversed his security tapes.

Mimosa smiled inside. The plan had been ridiculously simple, yet highly effective. The Hood had created a distraction by cursing at them, while Mimosa used telekinesis to hit the pair over the head with a blunt object. The Hood used his powers to lift the keys to the cell, and voila! Escape.

Her father had most certainly freed the two of them from a jail sentence. Mimosa also knew that they weren't likely going to be found anytime soon, unless The Hood wanted it. However, she realized that she had messed up his plans - and when he'd taken over, he had only taken them out of the frying pan and into the fire.

As the tropical island faded into the distance, Mimosa could recall the events of the ceremony as clear as if it had happened moments ago. She still could not get over the emotions The Hood had given off - and was still sending. Guilt. Remorse. Shock. Pain. Horror. Things she couldn't imagine the stone of a man ever feeling. She'd felt something odd before from him - like he was giving it second thoughts. When she'd felt the feelings he'd had after shooting his first born (that she knew of) daughter, it had all been clear.

It was striking her now. The Hood didn't care who _she_ was. He didn't care _who_ pulled the trigger. To him, Mimosa wasn't a daughter - she was a henchman. Someone to keep his hands relatively clean. Someone to murder his daughter's husband so he wouldn't have to bare the look of disappointment on her face.

Sure, The Hood liked having an accomplice. Sure, he enjoyed having someone else to help him turn his sick fantasies into realities. The Hood liked someone to do his dirty work - and all the better if she was family, who couldn't just abandon him after a mission went wrong. Mimosa held her arms, suddenly feeling cold. That was all she was to him. Some unwanted bastard who could help him try to recapture that one person he actually wanted by his side.

Tessa.

Mimosa blinked to try and hold back the tears. Her mother hadn't wanted a daughter to begin with, and she wasn't the daughter her father wanted. She was just a lonely child out to try and find someone who would accept her . . . if that someone even existed.

–

_Three Weeks Later . . . _

Alan grunted as he lifted the last of his sister-in-law's bags into Thunderbird 3. This was it, finally - Virgil and Tessa would be going away for their honeymoon. It had taken two weeks to get Tessa out of the hospital, and an additional to get everything in order for their trip, but the pair couldn't be happier.

The youngest Tracy smiled as he closed the door to his control centre. He hadn't been around much for the preparation of the wedding, so he hadn't really been caught up to speed on Tessa's bizarre nightmares or how much the Hood had truly been a factor in the preparation for the wedding. But he had seen the look on Virgil's face when they were married - that look that spoke volumes, telling her how much he loved her. How he would always care, come hell or high waters as Lana would say.

He pushed a button that connected him to HQ. "Okay, all ready to go. Send down the happy couple," he instructed.

"Aye, aye, cap'n," Scott replied sarcastically.

Alan sat down in his chair, relaxing as he waited for Virgil and Tessa to come down via the couch. His older brother had only known Tessa for what - a year and a half? Yet, he had been certain from day one that she had been the only one for him. He'd been the first to hear her calling from the beach for help. He'd been the first to really take initiative in training her. Sure, maybe he hadn't gotten to kiss her first and maybe he hadn't grown up with her around or had years to truly realize that he needed to stand up and ask her to marry him, but he'd done it. And maybe she wasn't 'high class' and had always had to work to make ends meet unlike them, but he saw past all that. It wouldn't have mattered if she'd been a servant in his house, Virgil would have stood up and still proposed in exactly the same way.

Even Scott . . . Scott hadn't even known Lana for 3 months when they went to Vegas. Sure, he'd heard of her. Maybe he'd run across her name a few times before that in some documents somewhere, but he didn't know who she was. He was so hung up on Tessa, that the first time he'd actually met Lana, he just outright hated her - and she'd been more than happy to do the same. But quickly, he'd realized what a mistake he was making. When he thought she was gone - heck, when he thought she was just in Canada - he'd been so depressed it was hard for him to get out of bed. But when he saw her again, found her perfectly alright (with no memory, mind you) Scott wasted no time in proposing.

The sound of Virgil and Tessa entering momentarily halted Alan's train of thought. Tessa was wearing a green sun dress, her right shoulder bandaged visibly, but her arms around Virgil nonetheless. Virgil smiled at Alan. "Ready for lift-off?"

Alan paused. Both his brothers had realized very quickly that they were madly in love with the right woman. Why had it taken him so many years to realize he was too? Perhaps he should stand up, take action, and propose that he and Tin-Tin move on to the next phase.

"F.A.B.," Alan replied, unable to wipe the grin off of his face.

–

Virgil couldn't take his eyes off of Tessa. The ride up had been short, but sweet. As they had greeted John, he'd held her hand the whole time.

Now, looking out the window, they saw the last of everyone else fly off towards the Earth. Tessa stood by the window, a shawl falling from her arms. She was staring at the planet in front of them, mesmerised. "It's so . . . ," she began.

"Lovely?" he asked, walking towards her.

She turned to him. Tessa smiled, and wrapped her hands around his waist. Virgil leaned forward, and kissed her softly.

He never did get a reply.

**Author's Note:**

As I sit here, pressing the 'complete' button, I have mixed feelings. This is my, what, 8th fanfiction now? And it took a year and a half – the longest of any. It feels like more than one story. I apologize profusely for taking this long … I blame the ending. It took me a long time to decide how to finish it. There were so many different endings I wanted to choose (at one point I was so frustrated by this that I nearly had a killing spree where everyone died). However, I think I found an ending that fits. I hope you enjoy it. As for whether or not there will be another, I do not know. I will not give up writing, but you might see me expanding beyond _Thunderbirds_. But who knows? You may very well see Tessa gracing the lists of once again.  Lots of Love, EJM.


End file.
